Liberté Perdue
by ombre.etoile.ritsu-san
Summary: They desperately wanted to know someone's there that they latch onto one another to such an extent where they lose their feelings. After all, they only have each other. Nagi/Star collab fic
1. Chapter 1

_*Star-chan* Oookay, well we waited the 48 hours to upload the story again, but this is it! Behold, LP has been reuploaded under our new account! Unless I get a hold of Nagi before hand and she wants to do it differently, I'll be re-uploading the chapters at least within 24 hours apart, just to not flood anyone's inbox or whatever, lol. So enjoy the first chapter (again)! The second one will be up soon as well. (I've even rewritten it to match our writing styles better, so it'll be good!)_

* * *

Even after being held in confinement for so long, the silence was still deafening. The only other sounds that would show themselves was the slow, thudding noise of her heartbeat in her ears and her brokenly scattered breathing.

A girl was in the corner of the room, her already small figure appearing even tinier in the large room. Her gray eyes focused on nothing, her hair falling over her cheeks and spilling over her shoulders, the tips curling at the end. Loose bangs fell in front of her eyes, only giving the girl more of a mysterious air. She wore a simple white sleeved gown that poofed out at the shoulders and eventually changed into a cape that lay behind her fragile form. The rest of the outfit clung quite uncomfortably to her, as she had not been allowed to gain new garments for quite a few months, with the exception of her baggy skirt.

As Inoue Orihime lay against the terribly chilly wall in the corner of her room, which should've been called a prison, her eyes fluttered closed, exhaling shakily. Clutching at her pure white gown, with one hand, she brought the other up to pull back a stray auburn hair back behind her ears. She wasn't so jumpy because of where she was at and why, but rather, she feared for the safety of her accompanying partner that had been trapped in the same place with her. The times he was gone were the ones that she worried over the most, with her heart beating at tremendous speeds in her ribcage. There were even times she worried it'd leap right out, all because she was anxious over the boy she had called her dear friend.

A click of the white door startled her, immediately causing her to want to go on the defensive, just in case it was someone coming in that Orihime was unfamiliar with. With wide eyes, she saw the door open at a casual pace, as if the person coming through was completely relaxed. _Probably an Arrancar..._ She mentally commented, noting how the laid-back pace appeared that of the enemy's.

It wasn't an Arrancar that came through the entrance, but the teenage boy she had worried so much about. With bright orange hair and dull brown eyes, Kurosaki Ichigo entered the room, clad in his usual bleak white robes and hakama, all tied together with a black belt. The teen glared at the offending portal before slamming the door closed, leaving the two young adults alone yet again in the cold, barren room. Just like every other day.

Orihime glanced only once at him before looking back at the dreary floor again, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek.

"H-How was the mission?" Her voice cracked unintentionally when asking the innocent question. Upon noticing her position on the floor, his expression fell and eyes grew soft. Ichigo took slow, careful steps towards the healer, not wanting to startle her too much. Once he was just a few inches away, he offered her his hand to help her up. Orihime noticed his offering, but looked at it, unsure of what to do.

Gesturing further for her to take his hand, the girl was left no choice, seeing as she couldn't outright reject anything _he_ did. Not with her strong feelings for him so abundant, at least. Slipping her tiny hand into his larger, calloused one, Orihime assumed he would help her up in a nonchalant manner, as he normally did. Only with her would he take things slowly, eyes always telling her he'd do things at her pace. However, this time he pulled her up quick and hard, causing her small, slender form to collide right into his firm, built one.

Burying himself in her dark red-orange locks, he inhaled deeply, absolutely loving the smell of her. At the end of a long mission, it seemed to be the best, and only, way for him to relax. "It was fine," he told her in a cool, collected tone, his hands moving from her own palms and digits to her hips, fingers flexing into the malleable fabric. "In fact, I kicked ass, like usual." Orihime merely nodded subtly and a small hum of understanding reverberated from her throat.

Despite them being in Las Noches for so long, even after all they've gone through, he could still tell when something was up. Sure, she had never been the same when she was first kidnapped, but for the most part she was able to keep a pretty optimistic view of things. So naturally, to see her in such a quiet state at that current moment piqued his curiosity, causing the worry to quickly spread soon after.

"Orihime?" Ichigo called her name, his own eyes searching for a way to look into hers. Orihime kept her gaze focused on the small patch of exposed skin his robes failed to cover, her eyes growing half-lidded and bangs still hiding her features. A frown tugged at her lips and she pulled away from his grasp, her frail hands going back to grasp at her own clothes.

Remaining quiet, she took a small step back, bringing her lowered gaze even lower, towards the floor. She felt so ashamed; she didn't want to look at him. Goodness knows he'd read her like an open book too if she didn't act carefully.

"Orihime..." His voice had a tinge of warning in it, but still held that gentle tone that always sent shivers down her spine. "Look at me." Although the young healer desperately wanted to, she couldn't allow herself to. She refused to let herself get lost in his eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time, which would lead her to wanting to bury her head in his chest and cry her eyes out. Shaking her head as an answer for him, her lips darted out to moisten her suddenly dry lips.

"I-I can't..." Orihime's voice cracked again, tears brimming at her beautiful gray eyes. As soon as she allowed herself to speak only those words, she bit down on her lip, the hold she had on her garments growing even tighter. With his expression softened once again, he took a slow step closer towards her.

"Why not?" Ichigo inquired, stopping about a foot away from her. If it was space she was wanting, he'd give it to her, but he felt that the distance away from her made him lose himself.

A soft sob finally escaped her and reluctantly, Orihime released her grasp on her clothes to bring her small hands to her weeping eyes. It was obvious she was upset before, but to see her to the point of tears pained him on the inside. His hands clenched into a tight fist as his mind raced back and forth on what actions to take and how he would comfort her, if she allowed him to.

"B-Because," she sniffled, "Because I-I just-" Cut off, Orihime was suddenly thrown from her alone outlook to one not so alone within his arms. Ichigo couldn't handle watching her cry any longer and took that last step to her, grabbing at her cheeks and pulling her face forward towards his. A surprised squeak escaped her lips, although was quickly muffled by the hot lips of Kurosaki Ichigo. He molded his lips against hers, absolutely loving the fact that everything about her seemed to fit with him so perfectly.

His fingers twitched against her soft skin, his digits aching to do more, touch more, feel more. Pressing harder into the kiss, Ichigo shifted a hand to the base of her neck, putting her into a position where he could kiss her with more depth. A whimper emitted from her mouth and into his and Orihime's back instinctively arching closer to him, breasts beginning to push up against his own chest. The shinigami growled to himself, noting how he couldn't be so selfish and take so much from her when it was clear that she was the one in need.

But that didn't stop him anyways. Tracing her bottom lip with his tongue, she gasped, allowing the Ryoka boy to slip his tongue into her moist cavern and thoroughly taste this wonderful woman. As his hands continued to move downwards, her own palms and digits reached back up to his thick, spiky locks, her slender fingers digging lightly into his scalp. Shyly touching her own tongue with his, a bright pink blush spread across her cheeks while her careful ministrations caused a numbing yet tingling sensation to be sent down his back. Ichigo let another groan out, thoroughly enjoying her small, but electrifying touches and continued to do the same to her cloth-covered waist.

Letting her cheeks burn as if on fire, Orihime rolled her head back as he moved to kiss her on her neck. _T-The things he does to me..._ She heatedly thought, her eyes fluttering open for a short second to expose dark, smoldering gray eyes. "I-Ichi..." She pleaded his name, her own fingers travelling down and on his sculpted jaw, lightly stroking the skin with her thumbs. As he growled again, loving the sound of his name on her lips, Ichigo's large hand hovered over her generous breast, fingers anxious to finally touch what he had yet to explore.

"I-Ichigo-sama..." Orihime moaned his name between frantic kisses. Although it was purely unintentional, the sudden suffix she added was enough to cause him to stop frozen, remaining stiff. He tore himself away from her lips, albeit hesitantly, but he silently assured himself this was a probably for the best. He didn't want to scare her too much with his forward actions.

"Goddammit..." He swore against her cheek, his hot breath tickling her exposed ear. "There's no fucking "sama" at the end of my name... Got it?" Orihime nodded dumbly, slight friction being made between her cheek and his as she did so. Moving his hand tenderly to her opposite cheek, he moved stray hairs behind her ear, frowning upon noticing the absence of her hairpins.

"I-Ichigo... kun." She decided, wavering. There had been direct orders to call those who were stronger than you with the suffix of "sama", even though they were still prisoners themselves. Even so, the healer was very much hesitant to call the boy hugging her without the last part. It wasn't that she feared getting in trouble for herself, but she feared that _he'd_ get in trouble.

"Good... That's good..." Ichigo murmured as he pulled away from her face. A tired smile tugged at his lips and unexpectedly, he hoisted her up and over his shoulder, all while wondering if a bit of recollection would make her smile a bit more. Indeed she did, remembering the first time he had done that, and a weak giggle escaped her lips as he made his way over to the large, cushiony couch in their room. Once there, as it wasn't that many steps away, he took her tiny waist and effortlessly put her on the couch, eyes full off reassurance that she was not too heavy for him like she thought.

"Ano..." Her sweet voice brought the boy out of his viewing of her gorgeous body, and he looked at her straight on, focusing his eyes on hers, his eyebrows raised with confusion. "I-I really think I should call you Ichigo-sama..." Jumping back to that topic made Ichigo's eyes roll, and he sat down next to her, grabbing her hands and holding onto them tightly. "Aizen-sama will be mad if-"

"No, don't even," he swiftly cut her off, his hands squeezing hers as a warning. "And that bastard doesn't deserve to be called "sama"-" Ichigo was about to go off on a tangent about the man who watched over them, but she also silenced him with a quick finger to his lips. She hadn't thought about it at first, but the feeling of his warm lips on her thin index finger made her blush. Immediately pulling it away flustered, she brought her eyes to her lap, where her hands weaved themselves together.

Understanding where he was coming from, she only hoped he saw it the same and he could see her angle on the situation. Looking at her battle-worn hands, her expression fell, feeling suddenly overwhelmed by that returning feeling she had before he had returned from his mission.

Ichigo had allowed some space between them, but he still kept close; close enough for Orihime to glance at his own features, taking in the tired, aged distinctions now embedded into his face. _It's been too long... _She thought as a silent tear accidently escaped her, rolling down her smooth, pale cheek. Biting her bottom lip until the flesh was tender, she continued to hold back sobs, fearing she'd be too loud for the boy besides her.

Immediately feeling his heart drop at her tears again, he slid his hand behind and around her waist, pulling her closer and allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. He had to swallow a few times, as there appeared to be something stuck, before he could ask her the question wanting to be asked.

"... What's wrong?" He asked quietly, worry and angst stinging in his voice. He could feel hot tears melt into his own white robes, but tried to focus on her worries, rather than jump the gun and do something that would make her forget her troubles. _... Like kissing..._

"I-Ichigo-kun..." Orihime's voice was broken and her sobs became a bit louder. As she rolled her head back a bit over his shoulder, she managed to catch a glimpse of him and his concerned stare, which only ignited more tears. "I-I..."

Giving her shoulder a gently squeeze, he planted a small kiss on her forehead. "You what, Orihime?" It was as if something inside her finally broke, as tears came out faster and her hands moved to his clothes, insistently tugging on the fabric with a sad, tired frown upon her lovely features.

"I-I want to go home..."

Part of him on the inside wanted to pronounce he knew she was going to say that, but this was also the day that he never wanted to come. Even mentally, he rehearsed what he would say to the broken girl, remembering he should only speak with words of assurance, but now it seemed that everything practiced had immediately been forgotten.

A moment later, he took her other shoulder and pulled her into a tight hug, a muffled half-squeak, half-sob coming from the girl upon contact. Orihime found it slightly hard to breath with his unyielding hold, but being surrounded by nothing but _him_ for even just a moment gave her a very brief bubble of hope.

"... I know..." He muttered, placing a kiss into her auburn hair. A hand moved towards those tresses and strung through the locks, his hand eventually curling into a tight fist. "I know..." He knew exactly how she felt because he had wanted to be back home as well, in Karakura town.

"I-Ichigo-kun, I-I'm sorry, b-but... I just..." Orihime couldn't finish her sentence coherently, as more tears threatened to spill. He shushed her, planting another kiss on her head gingerly.

"It's fine..." He tried to assure her, using his opposite hand to hold her tightly against him. "We'll get out of here, I promise you, Hime..." Grinding his teeth together, Ichigo kicked himself for that one, as he had promised her the same thing many times before, but obviously, as of right now, yielded no results. Even saying it this time felt just as hollow as the last. _Hollow... Tch, how ironic..._

"B-But how? Aizen-sama will-" Silencing her for what seemed to be the fourth or fifth time already, he turned her around and cupped her cheeks, placing his forehead against her own. Her breathing was ragged, almost like panting, and tears still managed to find their way out of her eyes and down her face. Closing her eyes with furrowed brows, Orihime bit her bottom lip again to force herself to stop crying. Surely the boy she loved wouldn't like it that she was sobbing hysterically so close to him.

"Don't _say_ that," Ichigo told her in a forced whisper, his breath fanning over her face as he spoke. "I said don't call that bastard that..." Orihime managed to let go over another sob and her breath hitched, unable to stop crying. His frown only deepened and the shinigami boy moved upwards, letting his lips hover over her forehead. "But it'll be okay..." He told her, tenderly kissing her flesh. "It'll be okay."

Ichigo wanted to anything and everything in his power to help her, but in a place they were in, it made it difficult to think of much to assist her. He could only shower her with kisses and hugs to show her she was not alone in this. Although most of the time, he really wished he could do more.

Shifting his lips downward, he planted his lips on her wet cheek, as if kissing her tears away. Fisting his robes in her tiny hands, she began to shake as she cried.

"I-Ichigo-kun..." She whimpered, face growing somewhat hotter as he threaded his fingers around her neck and tenderly moving his hand around the area, as if massaging it. He gave her one last peck on the lips before pulling away with a flimsy smile. Opening his mouth as if he was going to say something, the boy was interrupted by an all-too familiar Espada that had gotten into their room without them even noticing it.

"U-Ulquiorra-sama!" Orihime squeaked in surprise, eyes growing large and cheeks getting significantly warmer. The suffix on his name didn't go unnoticed by the shinigami holding her, but as he scowled hard, he noted he'd have to talk to her about that. Explain to her that even though they were captives here, she didn't need to follow their stupid rules.

"You're both so foolish," Ulquiorra spoke tonelessly, hands buried deep in his pockets. "To think you'll escape Las Noches in your lifetime." Holding the girl as she shook, Ichigo heard his hollow yell at him for not protecting their woman from this Espada's words that had clearly frightened her. Grinding his teeth together again, he found it annoying how his hollow only appeared to show up when Orihime's pain was involved.

The Espada held a hand out, extending towards both of them with his index finger casually reached towards Orihime more specifically. "Regardless of your naivety, Aizen-sama wishes to see you, woman. Come with me." Orihime froze in Ichigo's arms and the grip on his hands grew tight with fear. Turning her head to face him, her eyes practically screamed with fright and the expression on her face alone was enough to make Ichigo want to intervene somehow.

"C-Can't Ichigo-kun come with me?" Orihime choked out, subconsciously pulling herself closer to his chest, so close, her cheek was flat against his white top. Ulquiorra brought his hands back to his sides and repositioned his hands in his pockets.

"Aizen-sama did not specify for the shinigami," he told her, a small bubble of hope rising from the pit of her stomach at his wording. Maybe he'd allow the boy to come along! "However, I doubt that would mean he's allowed to go with you." Her stomach lurched uncomfortably at the rest of his statement.

"I-Ichigo-kun..." Orihime whispered, bringing back her fearful eyes to his own brown ones. Her grip on his hands grew tight as she swallowed thickly, but she told herself she needed to go. If she didn't, neither of them would know the consequences for disobeying orders.

"Hurry, woman," Ulquiorra urged her, his voice laced with a bit more antagonism. "Aizen-sama does not like to be kept waiting." The healer gave the boy's hands one last squeeze as tears stung at her eyes.

"A-Ano, U-Ulquiorra-sama, could I have just a moment?" Orihime boldly requested, surprising the two other men in the room. This had been the first time she forwardly asked for extra time and to an Espada no less. Her lips darted out to moisten her lips and her lashes fluttered closed, blinking slowly. "Please..."

Neither of them knew how he managed to cave in, if that's what you wanted to call it, but he nodded very subtly, turning back to the door. "You have two minutes," he informed the both as he exited the room. Orihime faced Ichigo again and her breath came rushing out as if she had been unintentionally holding it. She had somehow managed to hold back her shaking, but as soon as the Quatro Espada left, it immediately returned.

"I-I'm never going to get used to this..." Orihime confessed quickly, taking her hands out of his to wipe at her eyes. The tears hadn't fallen yet, but her eyes ached like they were going to. "We've been here for a year, but to always be used like this..." Ichigo could only agree silently. It was clearly obvious that they were not here because they wanted to be, but due to opposing forces neither of them could go against.

Orihime sniffled as she rubbed her eyes a bit more before moving her small hands to her hair, tucking loose strands behind her ear and smoothing out frazzled ends. If she didn't look her best for Aizen, surely there'd be consequences, she assumed. As her hands shifted from her hair to her clothes, smoothing them out just the same, the redheaded healer cleared her throat.

"A-Are you going to be here when I get back?" She asked hesitantly, glancing up at him shyly while dusting off a gray spot on her white Arrancar garb. Standing up, Ichigo nodded to her with a grumble resounding through the room.

"Do I look like I have anywhere to go?" He asked her, trying to make a joke. Orihime must not have gotten as she only looked ashamed shortly afterwards for asking such a stupid question. He could understand why she didn't laugh, however, since things looked a lot bleaker ever since they arrived here.

"O-Oh, I-I'm sorry... I suppose you don't-"

"Orihime."

"E-Eh?" She squeaked as he laid a hand lightly on her cheek, attempting to give her a soft smile.

"He might be scary, but don't worry about him hurting you," Ichigo told her calmly, speaking the words as if it were the utmost truth. "He needs you and your powers, so he won't do anything that will cause harm to you." In all seriousness, what the Ryoka boy was speaking was pretty close to the truth, he just didn't entirely know it.

Nodding stiffly, Orihime took a deep breath to calm herself. After exhaling in the same manner, she felt her previously sped-up heart rate slow down and she felt just a tiny bit better about everything. Giving him a smile, she folded her hands in front of her, her pale cheeks finally gaining some color from a blush. Ichigo was a bit taken aback from the upward curve of her lips, as it was something he hadn't seen much of as of late.

"Thank you, Ichigo-kun... I guess I'll see you later then," she spoke in that darling voice of hers, giving Ichigo a bit of a boost in his heart rate as well. Nodding with a smile of his own tugging at his lips, he took her wrist and pulled her close to him, planting a quick, but hard kiss to her own mouth. Against her plump, tender lips, his words and breath fanned over her features.

"Yeah... Talk to you later, Hime. "

* * *

Orihime straightened her hair and clothes again as she stood outside the large door that lead to Aizen's throne room. She had been able to calm herself down before, but now the fear returned and the only thing she wished for was to have the redheaded shinigami next to her, holding her hand for comfort.

With a rapid heartbeat, the healer brought her hands to the huge door and with some force, she pushed it open, exposing the leader of the entire operation. He sat in his overly large chair with a faint smirk plastered on his handsome face. His chin rested on his hand and he looked at her with interested eyes. Orihime felt a shudder go down her back, feeling very uncomfortable with the way he was staring at her.

"Orihime-chan, how nice of you to come," his calm, but venomous voice only scared her further and she immediately dropped her eyes to the floor.

"Y-You called for me Aizen-sama?" She squeaked, unable to hold back the stutter. Orihime bowed to him, afraid of what would happen if she didn't show him respect. Although after blinking, Orihime saw his familiar shoes in front of her, rather than far away where he should've been, and snapped her form back up. He still smiled that wicked grin.

"Yes, I wanted to give you some good news," Aizen spoke coolly, taking a small step around her form. She forced herself to keep still and not move. She personally didn't want to instigate anything further with this horrid man. "You are being moved into new living arrangements." Her eyes grew wide at the idea of moving around. In her current situation, she was only a few rooms away from Ichigo's and had been allowed to see him quite often, for the most part. But what if his new idea was to move them farther apart? Orihime bit her lip, her mind already worrying over the thought of how she'd be able to keep herself and sanity together without seeing him.

"I-I see... A-And might I ask where my new room is, Aizen-sama?" Orihime couldn't help but stutter again as his reiatsu just barely threatened to overtake her. Hearing his footsteps behind her coming to a halt, the healer kept her face forward and closed her eyes tightly, barely able to breathe.

"You're moving into a room with _Kurosaki-kun,_" Aizen mocked the name, taking a fistful of the healer's hair and pulling it to his nose, inhaling her scent deeply. Orihime wanted to shiver at his apparent lewd attempts, but instead grew very shocked he would be so generous. Being they were the only humans in Las Noches, she only thought he'd make them suffer by keeping each other far apart. Somehow, it was such a relief to hear they could be together almost all the time now.

"I-I... don't know what to say..." She breathed in amazement. Aizen let his palms and digits linger on her silky hair for a bit longer before letting his smirk fade just a notch.

"A thank you would suffice plenty, Orihime-chan..."

"A-Ah, yes... Thank you, Aizen-sama," Orihime blurted out, cheeks burning. After her polite thanks, she remained quiet and unmoving under his careful watch. He circled around her again, that nerving expression still on his face.

"And here I'd thought you be happier," he commented, taking a hold of her chin with his unnaturally cold hands. He pulled her face to make it even with his, boring his frozen, yet hard brown eyes into her own. "Are you not enthusiastic about my decision to board you two together?" His breath fanned over her face as he spoke, causing her to close her eyes tightly on instinct. Orihime shook her head, despite her small face in the grasp of his hand. _It's definitely not like Ichigo-kun's... _She mentally commented.

"N-No, I'm very grateful for what you've done," she told him quietly, disliking the lack of distance between the two. "I'm just... quietly celebrating?" A dry chuckle escaped the man's lips and he used his thumb to stroke at her fair skin.

"Then if you're happy, you may return to your room," Aizen replied coldly, finally pulling away from her and giving her the desired space she craved. "An Arrancar will lead you there later on." Orihime nodded, holding back another shudder. Although, despite being in the presence of an enemy, she let a small smile crawl on her lips, however, it was more fake than anything.

"Thank you, Aizen-sama," Orihime spoke quietly again, giving him another bow. Inwardly, her heart felt a lot lighter at the revelation of being so close to Ichigo, but part of her wondered if it was too good to be true. Turning around to face the door again, her small hand hovered above the doorknob when he halted her for just a second longer.

"Orihime-chan," he spoke in that sickening voice again. Twisting herself back around to look at the leader, she raised her brows in slight confusion. She had thought he was going to tell her something more, but instead, his eyes raked over her body, almost perversely. His stare lingered longest at her chest and at that point, she wanted to cross her arms to hide herself. Eventually, he looked at her face again and smiled wickedly. "You also look like you could use some new clothes. I'll request for new garments to be sent to you."

Part of her wanted to glance down at her own chest and wonder if the tightness from her current uniform was the reason he looked at her in such a disgusting manner, but she forced to keep her eyes on his, for it would only make the situation worse otherwise.

Mustering a weak, undesired smile, she nodded and almost silently thanked him again before pulling open the large doors she entered from previously. Once outside and away from his crude eyes, she collapsed against the door, chest heaving as she tried to regain more air she'd apparently been holding.

Closing her eyes tight and mentally telling herself to calm her heart, her mind went back to thinking of him, her shelter in the storm. With a mental image of him in her head, she could relax herself and breathe at a somewhat normal pace.

As Orihime forced her energy-drained body to stand up, she let herself smile a bit with thoughts of him only in her head. Maybe Aizen had taken pity on them, the humans, or maybe he wanted the two to be part of a crude experiment, she didn't know. At this point, she didn't care. What mattered to her was that she could be closer to Ichigo.

* * *

Her absence left a crude hole in his thoughts and it bothered him quite a bit. It wasn't like she had been gone long, no more than five minutes. That just showed him how strong his dependence on her, the only other human in Las Noches, was. _And to think..._ He inwardly grumbled, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned against the cold wall. _Two years ago, I would have never thought I would get so close to her._

Although he still reveled in thought of not being alone here, it still troubled him that the healer still had her times where she felt so alone, despite not being so. As his amber brown eyes flashed to the window, looking out at the dark night, he could sort of understand her feelings. They were humans in a world meant for monsters. The night was always abundant, and it was guaranteed that one would lose themselves in the darkness, both mentally and physically. Frowning, his mind jumped back to that little unfamiliar word. _Feelings..._ For the last year, it had been something he hadn't given much thought to, both his own and hers.

It's not that he didn't care, he very much did, but the first and foremost thing he concerned himself with was respite and maintaining his sanity, if it was possible in this hellhole. His frown etched deeper into his features and Ichigo started to wonder what Orihime thought of all those times he selfishly hugged her, kissed her, and even called her by her first name, just so he could feel an ounce of relief. What if she actually despised him after all this time? Would she feel such a bitter emotion? He knew she was a compassionate woman, but it was possible that things could change in a year's time.

Ichigo brought a fist to the wall, slamming it into the cold partition. _Dammit... This is why I don't like letting my mind wander..._ His heart started to ache again and he shut his eyes tight, wondering how he could've been so heartless and selfish during their stay here. It wasn't just him stuck in this situation, but her as well.

"My, my, where's the little princess?" A cold voice inquired, startling the young shinigami. He snarled at the enemy, wondering just how the hell did these Espada keep getting in unnoticed. His eyes soon ignited with a blaze as he glared at the Quinto Espada, Nnoitra Jiruga.

Ichigo remained quiet, unresponsive to the Arrancar, knowing very well his manipulative, and quite annoying, nature. More often than not, he only appeared to get the Ryoka boy on his toes and get him thinking of things that were not true.

"Not talking, eh? Though from the look on your face, you look pretty pissed your little girlfriend isn't around," Nnoitra continued, a wide smirk on his ugly face. Ichigo scoffed and turned his head the opposite way, not wanting to look at the man. "Does that mean she's with Aizen?" Still, the redheaded shinigami kept quiet.

The sounds of shuffled feet were heard through the room and Ichigo assumed he was wandering around the room. He half-heartedly wondered why the Espada wasn't getting on his nerves so easily today. Although, he didn't exactly like that he was talking about Orihime so casually, not to mention he referred to her as his girlfriend. How was it possible to say you're dating someone in such a place like this? Although with some of the things they did, it might give one the thought they were.

"I wonder what he's doing to her..." Nnoitra scoffed, a hint of playfulness apparent in his voice. "Probably this and that..." He finished, not clarifying what 'this and that' was. That finally got Ichigo's attention and the boy turned to look at him head-on. The Espada smiled knowing he was getting exactly what he wanted.

"What the hell is Aizen doing to Orihime?" Ichigo asked in a hard tone, trying to keep his anger reigned in somewhat. Orihime had gone to see him plenty of times, but she never really told him what he said or did. Part of him hurt on the inside at what appeared to be her not trusting him, but maybe it was really something else she wanted to keep a secret.

"What he does to her every time."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"I should really leave that to your imagination, no?" Nnoitra grinned, his eyes full of glee at how he roused the anger within the young prisoner. "But it's interesting..." He continued, resuming his walking around the room as well. "You've been here, what? Almost a year? You're so naïve to think Aizen hasn't done things to her."

It was a second later when Ichigo had attacked the lean form of Nnoitra's and pinned him against the opposite walls, eyes blazing with anger and fury. That sick thought that Aizen was even thinking about laying his hands on her made Ichigo feel like his blood was flowing backwards. "What the fuck has he done to Orihime?" He yelled at the Espada, hands shaking with rage. Nnoitra grinned wickedly and easily shoved the boy off him and onto the floor.

"Don't ask me, stupid shinigami. How am I to know what Aizen does or doesn't do?" The Espada responded in an amused tone, stepping over his small form and back towards the door. "I'm only guessing what's happened, if anything at all. It's up to you to think what you will." Nnoitra shrugged with that grin still apparent as he hovered around the vicinity of the door. "So if you think she's been abused in a bad way, you can think that. But who in the world would want to harm little Orihime-chan?"

Ichigo started to shake and it became hard to breathe. Before he had thought he could get away with not letting Nnoitra get to him, but now it was apparent he had. Though, surely he had to be lying about Aizen possibly doing horrible things to Orihime, crude enough ideas to make Ichigo feel very sick. He lied about almost everything... Didn't he?

"Of course... That's just Aizen. It's possible the other Espada might've done something as," Nnoitra snickered as his large hand gripped the handle and pulled the door open. Neither of them expected it, but the healer had been standing right outside with her hand in mid-air, as if she had been going to knock at it, but shock that the door had been opened for her.

"Eh? N-Nnoitra-sama? Ichigo-kun?" She squeaked in surprise, eyes travelling up the huge form of Nnoitra's. The man sneered at Orihime before turning around and facing the boy still lying on the floor.

"I'll leave you with your thoughts, shinigami boy," the man laughed bitterly before stepping around the small girl and out of the room, slamming the door behind him. A silence quickly filled the room and it didn't take long for Orihime to notice all the tension abundant in the air.

"Ichigo-kun? Ano... Why are you on the floor?" She asked innocently, taking small steps towards his built figure. She cocked her head to the side in confusion and part of her wondered if he was being silly or her and Nnoitra where playing a game. Once close to him, Orihime squatted on the floor to see him at eye level. It didn't take long for her to notice his apparent shaking and eyes full of pain and some mistrust. "Ichigo-kun, why are you shaking so mu-" She hadn't been able to finish as Ichigo cut her off with a hard scowl, his teeth slightly bearing. His hand snapped out to grab at her wrist and he held it tightly, to a point where a small whimper of pain escaped her lips.

"Orihime..."

"H-Hai?"

"What the fuck did Aizen do to you?"

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	2. Chapter 2

_*Star-chan* Whelp, I'm uploading this a good five hours away from when I uploaded the first, but... Lol, I'm thinking it might be 12 hours in between, not 24, just because I'm impatient. Also, it's unfortunate, but I apparently ended up writing the first four chapters with the exception of this one, so you won't see Nagi and her's until the 5th one (which she's already got it partway done.) I did rewrite this second chapter, because it was originally written in my first collab partner's format, and to make it better slide with the story *thus far*, I rewrote it. (Like... My style would fit with, well, my style in 1, 3, & 4, lol.) Either way, enjoy this next chapter! Hopefully I can get 3 up sometime tonight.

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The healer swallowed thickly as her eyes locked with the amber brown eyes of the boy in front of her. Her heart raced as she tried to think of a suitable answer for him, something that would keep him from growing angrier. His lips curved into a scowl and his eyebrows kept knit together tightly as his eyes never strayed from hers. He would get an answer, and he would get it now.

Orihime kept her free hand close to her chest and gripped the white fabric of the uniform as she had mentally replayed all the past events with Aizen in the last year. Ichigo had never questioned her before about those meetings with the ex-captain, but even now she could read his eyes and she _knew_ something had been said to him. Who and what exactly was the question.

Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, fear began to tug at her heart as she thought of just what to tell him. Goodness knows he wouldn't be happy to hear Aizen put his disgusting hands on her and whispered inappropriate things for a teenage girl's ears.

The healer had to tear her eyes away from his to focus on something else. The floor seemed to do quite nicely, she noted, while thinking of how she could never tell him of what happened in the throne room. Telling Ichigo Aizen had stared at her chest, even made past attempts to touch it, or gently pulling on her hair while his lips just barely grazed her earlobe. It wasn't that she didn't trust the shinigami in front of her, but some things were better kept unsaid.

Ichigo's scowl hardened further as he saw her look away, seeing clearly she was ashamed. The blush in her cheeks and darted eyes were just a few of the many signs she was showing, making it painfully obvious there was much more she was not telling him. If he was getting mad at anything, it was the fact that Aizen had done something so terrible, she felt she couldn't say it out loud. She was embarrassed and possibly ashamed, which meant Nnoitra had been right when saying Aizen had done things to Orihime.

His grip on her wrist only grew tighter unintentionally as he yanked her down closer to eye level. She gasped loudly while being pulled down, her body bending so it fell almost on top of him and their faces were just inches apart. Orihime had looked back at him again and their eyes locked, anger in his with fear in hers.

"Please," he ordered, his voice low and hesitant as his breathe blew against her lips and in reaction, she darted her tongue out to wet them. "Just tell me what he did to you, that's all I ask..."

"H-He did nothing, Ichigo-sama," Orihime whispered in a quiet voice, her eyes not glancing off this time. She could see something else flash across his brown eyes and it soon made her regret calling him with that particular suffix. She remembered that before she left Aizen's throne room, the powerful shinigami told her to always refer to Ichigo and the rest of the Espada with their rightful names. Her going around calling him "Kurosaki-kun" would definitely not end well.

"What did I tell you about calling me that?" Ichigo asked, irritated at the entire situation, but not at Orihime at all. "I told you not to do that anymore. It's really degrading for you... For both of us."

"I-I know, but..." The healer replied, stuttering with each word. She didn't want to upset the boy in front of her, but at the same time, she didn't want him to get in any trouble because of what she had done. She would somehow endure the pain for him, but if she saw him go through the same, bloody and gruesome event he had to go throw a few months prior, she didn't know if she could ever forgive herself. "A-Aizen-sama ordered me to do it..."

"That doesn't mean you have to do it though!" He suddenly yelled, feeling unusual rage take over him. This wasn't fucking right. She didn't belong in a place like this, like hell. She needed to be back in her small apartment, watching Laugh Hour and cooking up her weird concoctions. She deserved to be hanging out with her friends, laughing and enjoying her life... She wasn't meant to be stuck here in the hands of their enemy, with him of all people. "You don't have to do anything..." His eyes then travelled back down for a minute as his words trailed off.

He released her arm and let his hand grip his long bangs instead. Sadistic images came into his head and he suddenly grew sick to his stomach. Images of what Aizen could be doing to her behind closed doors came into his thoughts. Her blood-curdling screams and the bastard's smirks replayed over and over in his head, making him shudder and choke. He would be enjoying his pain, both their pain, and it was sickening to think about. He could see her tears spilling down her cheeks, her hands clenching into tight fists as Aizen...

"Ichigo-kun?" Orihime's small voice caused his eyes to snap back open. He hadn't even realized he closed them after looking back up to her concerned face. "You're... shaking..." She continued, kneeling in front of him with a look of concern on her face. She knew she had to be strong, not just for herself, but for the boy in front of her. They were both in the same boat and she needed to do her best to show him they'd be okay. "I'll be okay, Ichigo-kun..." She forced a weak smile as her tiny hand travelled over his, making their fingers lace together. "We'll be okay."

The shinigami exhaled hard as he relished in the feeling of her hand with his, their digits intertwined so perfectly. He always had trouble with his feelings and tended to act recklessly, but he knew he couldn't do that anymore. It had been over a year since the fateful day of their capture and he was forced to grow up. Before he was stupid to think he could protect anyone and everyone, but now everything had changed. There was only one person he wanted to protect now. However, with the hell they were in, he couldn't do a damn thing to save her. He could, though, try his best to make sure she didn't get hurt. He also needed to learn to hide his feelings better so he wouldn't worry the innocent girl with the weak smile in front of him.

"Isn't that my line?" Ichigo added softly, forcing a chuckle as he glanced back down to their joined hands. He rubbed his thumb over her skin, feeling how soft it was as he continued on, "I'll be okay, Orihime, because I'll definitely protect you." She giggled just a bit, but it was enough to give him a bit of relief to hear that watery laugh.

"Something like that," she replied quietly, using her free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. A light pink color dusted her cheeks due to the movement of his thumb on her skin. Her heart beat at a rapid pace, threatening to leap out just from one touch by him.

"He..." He started again, but trailed off and cleared his throat instead. He definitely wanted- No, needed to know what happened between her and Aizen. Ichigo needed to her to confirm that the sick bastard hadn't touched her inappropriately, but if he had...

_If Aizen _did_ do anything... What the hell can I do about it?_ He thought, a scowl etching deep into his features. He couldn't do shit against the man that kept him here, especially with Orihime around. He didn't give a fuck about the consequences that lay before him, but if he took one step out of line, she would be the one to suffer too. Actually, knowing the freak ex-captain, he would use Orihime entirely as a punishment for his actions.

"... Listen, Orihime," Ichigo spoke out, watching her tilt her head to the side in confusion as she listened. "I-I... don't know what's going on between you and Aizen, but... Whatever he's telling you, it's not true, alright?"

He told her this because he knew how Aizen worked. He didn't care for inflicting physical wounds, but rather, the mental ones particularly. He invaded your head and made you believe things that you never imagined before. In the end, he left you trapped and confused, feeling as if you were all alone in the world. Ichigo wasn't stupid; he knew Orihime kept up bottled feelings. They were unusually dark feelings that were very uncharacteristic for her and he knew damn well those were the exact kind of feelings Aizen liked to use to twist them both around his finger.

"So stay strong," he whispered, his free hand reaching up to cup her face, his long finger threading themselves through her auburn strands. He made sure their foreheads touched as he let his eyelids flutter closed in slight defeat before he repeated himself. "Stay strong, got it? Don't let the bastard get to you..."

Unshed tears glimmered in her eyes as she reached out and gripped the front of his haori. Those were the words that made her strong and able to endure all of this. Even it was a year, she and Ichigo had grown incredibly close, depending only on each other's words, actions, feelings. There had been multiple times she was called down to see Aizen, and she'd always be manipulate to think the most horrible things. As much as she didn't want to believe what he had said those times, her mind was just too weak to ignore it otherwise. But when she'd come back and see Ichigo, still bearing those dark thoughts and the idea that death was truly the only way out of this torment, he'd smile for her. He'd hold her close and tell her it was alright and he'd always let her cry into his chest every time. He'd always whisper to her they'd be okay and they would make it.

"... Ichigo-kun, the reason I went to Aizen-sama," Orihime mumbled, shifting herself closer to keep into his arms. "He has... new living arrangements for me." Ichigo had wrapped his arms around her protectively, growing a bit alarmed with her words.

"Living arrangements?" The shinigami inquired, his eyes widening slightly. Even though she was here in his arms now, his heart picked up in pace and started to ache painfully at the same time, all because of the idea of her being further away from him. He must've taken her presence for granted, seeing as he'd never thought of how painful it was to think of her going away. "What the fuck is he doing?" He hissed quietly, clutching her tightly. "Where's he sending you?"

Orihime let out a faint laugh as she laced her arms around his back, gripping his shihakusho in her hands. "I thought he was sending me away and got scared..."

Ichigo swallowed hard, not wanting to hear the aching words of her being away from him. Aizen or not, he wouldn't have it and he'd defy everyone and everything to keep her close.

"But he didn't..." She kept her voice quiet, blinking with heavy lashes as a few hot tears rolled down her cheek and dropped onto the fabric against her face. "He wants us to stay together..." She pulled away, still tearing up as she smiled a genuine smile, something he hadn't seen for such a long time. "We're going to stay in the same room."

"W-What?" Ichigo asked, eyes widening significantly. Maybe a year ago he would've been flustered at the idea of rooming with his busty comrade, but now he was feeling warmth and happiness he hadn't felt for just as long. "Staying in the same... R-Really?" She nodded and continued to smile. His grip on her waist grew a bit tighter as his eyes looked back hard into hers, looking for confirmation. The news was so good, it just about sent his heart flying.

"U-Uhn! I can be with Ichigo-kun more..." Orihime muttered again, her cheeks started to burn upon seeing how happy he was. "I hope you don't mind..."

"Don't be silly," Ichigo replied, pulling her into his lap and back into a hug, his cheek brushing against hers. "It'll be okay, Orihime. I promised I would protect you, so nothing bad will happen, okay? Don't worry." Orihime sighed as she melted into the embrace, her eyes closing for a moment.

"I'm so relieved," she spoke against his skin, her lips pressing against the base of his neck. "But I'm still scared too... I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing's going to happen to me, baka," he told her, pulling her away again upon hearing about her fear for him. His hand encased her cheek as he forced a small smirk, finding it cute of how red her cheeks were getting with her eyes wide with nothing but trust. "I swear," the Ryoka boy continued, feeling her head lean into his hand. "We'll escape and get back home. Just give me time..." He neared his lips closer to her and his hot breath fanned over her lips as he repeated, "Give me some time..." In a slow, but desperate motion, he connected their lips together in a kiss. His fingers delved deeper into her thick locks as he lowered himself backwards to the floor, pulling her with him.

Her lips always tasted sweet, he vaguely noted, as he let his tongue wander in her mouth. A shiver ran down his spine as she did just the same. A few stray bangs came loose and tickled at his forehead while their tongues danced. His hands that were on his waist fell and ran down to her thighs, pulling her closer to him intimately.

Her body fit with his perfectly as her dainty little hands stroked his face, her plump lips slanting over his. He always groaned at how passionate she could be, even though she had told him she had never kissed a boy before him. He couldn't really remember when they had first kissed, since admittedly, they had done it so much it all blended together now, but it was definitely unexpected. He initiated it at the time, feeling desperate, scared, and all too willing. She was, and still is, his only comfort in this hellhole and he never wanted to lose her. It was a scary thing to admit, but if he lost her, he knew he would lose his heart and soul as well.

"I-Ichigo-kun..." She mumbled against his moving lips, pushing herself away just a few inches away from him. Her fingers instinctively flexed themselves against his muscular chest while her hair fell down over her shoulders. Her bangs hung over her eyes as she sported a dark blush, her eyes half-lidded. "Ichigo, I... I love you..."

Their eyes locked while she pouted lightly, clearing embarrassed over her bold confession. _Those_ words always seemed to bring a warm feeling to his cold, almost hollowed body. For a year, those three words were what made him move forward, following Aizen's orders and stay with the damned arrancar. It was because of her that he was relatively sane and very much alive.

"I know..." He whispered thickly to her before using a hand to pull her back down and capture her lips again. She didn't even need to utter those lone words to have him know she held feelings for him. The things she's said, the way she carried herself around him... They were clues all along. That, and the fact he turned into a monster and she _still_ stayed around him was a big one too. "I know," he repeated a final time before slipping his tongue into her cavern, just wanting to lose himself with her.

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The corridor was empty and silent apart from the soft _pitter_ _patter_ of the human's feet hitting the hard floor. Their fingers were kept laced together while the healer bit at her bottom lip, half-wondering what kind of room they would be getting. She hoped it wouldn't be as bleak and empty as her original room had been, but in this place, it was more than possible.

Ichigo walked beside her, never letting go of her hand as his eyes followed the long hallway in front of him. With brows furrowed and bangs falling in his face, he couldn't help but clench his free hand into a fist at the anxiousness of where they were going.

No matter how hard he tried, he could never figure out a plausible reasoning for why Aizen did the things he did. He was a fucking sadist, causing people's pain and making sure he thoroughly enjoyed it. Thinking back, had he never gone to Soul Society to rescue Rukia, he would've never known who Aizen was. But remembering back how the sick man had just used a single finger to blast a hole through his body made his body shake with anger. Now he was filled with so much hate that it could almost classify his heart as black because he couldn't do a damn thing to beat the ex-captain. The anger mainly originated from the fact that no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he could never get strong enough. It wasn't enough to defeat Espada, it wasn't enough to defeat Aizen, but more importantly, it wasn't enough to protect Orihime.

Ichigo's eyes involuntarily softened as a loud roar of a beast echoed in the back of his mind. Back in Karakura and even attempts here, he tried to get stronger so he could protect her, but in the end, he had made her witness something so horrifying and gruesome. A girl like Orihime should have never seen such a wicked being like he had turned into and he indefinitely vowed to never turn into that form again if he could. Even on the brink of death, he promised he wouldn't.

He had to admit, the only thing keeping him sane was her. She was the reason his heart continued to beat and why he still had some hope that maybe, _just maybe_, they could someday have a future together that wasn't forced by anyone, Aizen in particular; A life where they could just be themselves_ for_ themselves; not slaves to do the bidding of a horrible man who sent them out on life-or-death missions. Growling to himself, he always hated following orders. He wasn't a person to gracefully respect authority, but he still remained pissed about it anyways. He wasn't here to please Aizen; he was here to kill him. Even the thought of stabbing the bastard in the heart and watch as he died a slow, very painful death was a pleasurable idea to him.

Her grip on his hand tightened a bit, making him glance down at her with a soft expression. The way she chewed at her lip and her weak reiatsu fluctuated irregularly made him understand she was scared. If he had had to guess why, it was because they had no idea what their new room would be, even if it was with him. For all they knew, it could be a cold, dark, damp cell with no more than ten square feet.

They had never roomed together in the year they'd been here. Maybe she'd fallen asleep on him while he stayed in her room a few times. He would be sitting against the wall as she curled up against his chest as he held her protectively, feeling himself doze off a bit as well. Right now, he was wondering what was going through Aizen's head when he made the order to room the two together. As excited as he wanted to be about it, he knew it wouldn't end well. He had a sickening feeling Aizen was just putting them together so he could rip them apart and give Orihime infinite heartbreak.

"Ichigo-kun," Orihime spoke softly and stopped, making him stop just the same while she looked down at their joined hands.

"What is it?" He asked in the same tone, forcing a light-hearted expression for her.

"A-Are you okay with... living with me?" She asked, her eyes big with worry. Her cheeks were beginning to grow hotter at the thought of rooming with the boy in front of her; the one she'd pledged to love five lifetimes for. "I-I know if it was your decision, that..." The rest was incoherent as she trailed off before the shinigami sighed and wrapped his arms around her frail shoulders, pulling her into a hug. She squeaked in surprise, but still melted into the embrace anyways.

"Don't say things like that," he told her firmly, letting his lean fingers embed themselves in her thick tresses. "You're the only person I have left... The only one I really feel like myself with, Orihime." An odd wave of relief rushed through him as he held her in his arms. "We obviously can't argue with Aizen because we wouldn't stand a chance, but Orihime..." He paused and looked down at her, waiting for a moment to look back up and lock eyes with his. Her irises were full of concern and worry, but still held compassion and trust. "If I ever had to room with anyone, here in this hellhole or back home, it'd be you..."

"Oh, how sweet! The shinigami failure is confessing his undying love to his bitch, how cute," a taunting voice came out of nowhere and it made the teenagers turn around. Both their eyes widened as two girls were seen coming up to them from the dark hallway. The masks on their faces showed they were both arrancar, their uniforms leaving little to the imagination while smirks were plastered on their lips.

"What's it to you?" Ichigo scowled, his eyes hardening on the girl with two black pigtails. She was significantly smaller than he was and one glance at her could tell you she wasn't a decent person. Her uniform just barely hid the small breasts she had and the material only covered necessary spots. A short skirt hung around her waist and black boots reached to the middle of her thighs while white fabric covered her arms from her elbows to her wrists.

The girl next two her had sandy blonde hair and her petite body was a bit more covered. Her uniform covered everything with the exception of a plunging neckline to just below her belly button, exposing pale skin.

"Hmm, nothing really," Loly, the black-haired one, answered back with a coy smirk. She took a few steps towards the couple and it made Ichigo glance back to the healer before shuffling his feet to take a protective stance in front of her. "Oh, so you're going to protect your princess! But I thought she was strong enough to take care of herself. I mean, that's why Aizen-sama loves her so much."

"Shut the hell up," Ichigo growled as he felt Orihime's hands grip the back of his shihakusho. He wasn't going to budge, even if she wanted him to just move on. He knew from the beginning that these girls didn't like Orihime. Ever since he saw them pulling apart her sleeves while yelling at her as he tried to get past Ulquiorra, he knew they harbored a deep hate for her for some unknown reason. "Should you be fucking someone instead of bothering us?"

"Excuse me?" Loly hissed, eyes wide with raw anger as Ichigo smirked back at the two. "You're just a lowly human! How dare you talk to me in that tone!"

"Yeah, I might be a human, but I'm the one who does all of Aizen's dirty work," he quickly replied, making the two girls gasp. "For being human, the bastard can only depend on me to do it for him. Wonder what he thinks of you when he looks to you, completely knowing you can't do what a single human can?"

"Fuck you!" Loly yelled, bringing up her fist and charging at Ichigo. The shinigami took a quick step back and used his hand to push Orihime back gently so they could both dodge the punch. He soon grabbed her arm and pulled it behind her, making the arrancar cry out in pain as she was slammed against the wall.

"Don't come at me like you think you can touch me," he told her bitterly, his grip growing tighter. The pain made the girl cry out her partner's name for help. "You may not like me or Orihime, but we'll be here for quite a while. If you think you can hurt her while I'm not around... Think again. I won't let you talk her down. It's hollows like _you_ two that need to be talked down to."

"I-Ichigo-kun..." Orihime called out, her hand extending out to them as if she wanted to stop him. "Ichigo-kun, stop-" She stopped as Loly's bright eyes snapped open at her, glaring hard.

"Stay the fuck out of this, you bitch!" She snarled, making the healer flinch back in fear. "You think you're so good, being so close to Aizen-sama and then using this fucker as your bodyguard... You can't even fight your own damn fights! In the end, you're good for nothing, you useless bi-" A loud cry cried from her lips at the end as Ichigo forced her head to the wall.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, that is enough."

All four of them froze with wide eyes as they looked down the hallway again. Step by step, there came the man himself, a small, but wicked smile on his face. His hands fell limply at his sides while a brown curl hung between his eyes.

"A-Aizen-sama!" The arrancar girls cried out. Loly wrenched herself away from Ichigo's grasp as she and her partner felt to their knees in gratitude and respect.

_Tch... _Ichigo grumbled inwardly, refusing to bow. _What the hell is he doing here?_

"A-Aizen-sama..." Orihime spoke just the same as the other two before bending over, her hands kept on her knees and making Ichigo's eyes widen at what she was doing.

"Please, don't bow," he told them simply, waving his hand carelessly as Orihime glanced back up. "We are all friends, are we not?" He asked, smiling. The uncomfortable expression made the Ryoka grab a hold of her arm and pulling her back up.

"Hardly," Ichigo scoffed. "What the hell do you want?"

"Ichigo-ku-" Orihime started, but got cut off as a strong reiatsu began to overpower her, making her knees buckle a bit. "I-Ichigo-_sama_, stop..."

Ichigo ignored her switch in suffixes, knowing it was because of Aizen's doing. The man smiled fondly at the two before turning around and starting to walk, not giving the arrancar a second glance. "Let us be on our way then. I'm here to personally show you your new home."

Grimacing, Ichigo was reluctant to follow him but Orihime quickly went after the man, making him realize his anger was getting the best of him. The only thing he could do right now was follow Aizen as well, as much as he didn't want to. Glancing at the two bully arrancar, Ichigo walked forward, trying to prepare himself for whatever Aizen was going to do.

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	3. Chapter 3

_*Star-chan* ... *cough*... Yeah, I feel so bad for obnoxiously re-uploading stuff this frequently, but it'll probably just be better when everything's all back up and we're just waiting for normal updates from one of us. XD Thanks to those who have reviewed the story *again* thus far! : You all rock! (Also, just for the record, although I don't think anyone particularly cares, Star wrote this chapter, fff... XD This'll be so much better when it goes back and forth like it normally should.)_

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His mind raced for a logical reason as to why their enemy, Aizen, would do them such a huge favor. Ichigo _knew_ that cold-hearted bastard certainly didn't like them, the only humans. So to be so 'kind' as to give them a new room to share blew his mind.

Maybe Aizen was going off the deep end... At least, the Ryoka boy desperately hoped he might be.

"This will be your new living quarters," Aizen informed them in his always neutral voice. He extended a hand to show them the new room. Ichigo went into the spacious area first with Orihime following nervously behind, holding his hand all the way. Part of him felt horrible about just how scared she was. It was her hand shaking so hard in his own that tipped him off. Giving her palms and digits a small squeeze, he glanced back at her for a short moment, flashing the healer a small, but reassuring smile.

As the two humans stopped in the doorway, their jaws just about dropped. The new room was quite large, the tall white walls extending high, as if towards the sky. Perhaps he had planned it to be like that, creating the room larger to they'd feel more insignificant. A single window sat smack-dab in the middle of the opposite wall, black bars strung vertically. Another white door sat on the right side of the room, when looking at it from the original entrance. And just opposite the second door sat an even larger bed, possibly twice the size of a queen-sized one.

"So what do you think?" Aizen inquired, snapping them out of their stupor. Ichigo glared at the enemy and Orihime's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, both over being so amazed and the thought of that being the only sleeping place.

"I-It's wonderful, Aizen-sama..." Orihime mumbled from Ichigo's side, holding his larger hand tight for mental support. "Thank you very much." The substitute shinigami didn't like how the ex-captain was looking at her so intimately, and he ground his teeth together in frustration. If he acted now, showing malice towards their 'leader', they could be separated just as easily as they were put together.

"I'm glad to see you enjoy it, Orihime-chan," his voice was cold, but laced with that disgusting tone of his that always sent shivers down the healer's back. "Your bathroom is in that opposite room," he continued, shifting his eyes towards the other white door. "I would hope you find that sufficient enough for the two of you."

"It'll be fine," Ichigo spat, stepping in front of his close friend to get her out of his line of sight. Holding a protective stance in front of her, his eyes burned with fury as his orange bangs fell in front of his face. "But if you don't mind, Orihime and I would prefer to be alone." _And away from the likes of you_, he added in his head.

"If you desire," Aizen spoke casually, bringing his hand up to motion for someone to come forward. "I can't have my humans be unhappy here while in Las Noches." Orihime shuddered again at his tone and how it seemed like he referred to them as his pets. _But maybe that's what we really are to him..._ "However..."

Another unrecognizable Arrancar stepped into the room, holding out a bundle of white clothes in his hands. Bowing while holding it towards Aizen at the same time, the Arrancar gave him the bundle while the ruler of Las Noches gave Orihime an unusual stare. The color drained from her face as she watched him from over Ichigo's shoulder.

"Orihime-chan, here are the new clothes for you," Aizen commented, motioning for the human girl to step forward. With a fast heartbeat, Orihime could feel the already heavy reiatsu that belong to Aizen, and how it threatened to overpower her at any moment. She stepped out from being the redheaded shinigami, very reluctantly letting go of his warm and reassuring hand.

"Orihime, what are you doing?" Ichigo hissed, not trusting Aizen at all. Orihime turned around with nervous eyes as she swallowed thickly. She remained quiet and merely nodded, her eyes pleading him to relax and be understanding. For Ichigo, he refused to be because he didn't trust the ex-captain, but he _would_ be watching her and able to step in if needed. She was no more than a few feet from him. But still... The feeling of her being away from his side made his stomach lurch uncomfortably.

Orihime took nervous steps towards the evil man until she was about a foot away from his tall form. Aizen smiled at her fondly before handing her the new garments.

"I should hope these are sufficient for you," he spoke low, making the hairs on her arms stand up. That disgusted feeling from earlier was quickly returning. As he gave her the clothes, his hand brushed by hers, making the innocent healer gasp. His face neared hers and Orihime decided it was best to hold her breath and screw her eyes shut tight. Aizen snaked his hand through her coppery locks and moved his lips close to her ear. Smirking, he knew the Ryoka boy was watching his actions carefully. Part of him even wondered just how much he was forcing himself to _not_ attack.

"And perhaps you can visit me one time and I can see how this fits you," he spoke, his disgustingly hot breath trailing over her earlobe. Orihime shuddered again and nodded dumbly.

"H-Hai... Aizen-sama..." She stuttered, flustered at the horrible idea of showing him her new clothes. Aizen pulled away, smirking at the clearly irritated Ichigo. The substitute clenched his fist so tightly, he could feel his nails puncture his skin.

"Now... Unless there's anything else, I will be taking my leave."

Both of them shook their head, probably a bit too quickly, and it was a moment later that the ruler of Las Noches had left their new room. Orihime let out the deep breath she had been holding and let her arms go slack by her sides, the bundle unwrapping itself and hanging lightly on the floor. A heavy shudder went through her body as she shakily turned around to face the boy she loved dearly.

"At least he's gone..." Orihime breathed, still shaking from the very uncomfortable endeavor. Her brows rose at the shinigami's angry face and slightly trembling form. Was he angry? A shiver raced through her at the dark glint in his eyes. "I-Ichigo-kun?" She stuttered, licking her dry lips. Upon hearing his name, he snapped from his deep, dark thoughts and took heavy strides toward the healer. A second later he had his hand on her arm and held it tight, still scowling hard.

"Go change..." He told her gruffly, starting to pull her towards the bathroom. Orihime squeaked in surprise and tried not to groan in small pain due to the hard grip he had on her arm. As they walked through the large room, she didn't know if she should have him stop and calm down, or if her attempts would be futile and he'd just be angrier.

"I-Ichigo-kun...?" Orihime stuttered again, looking up at him cautiously with nervous eyes. He stopped and snapped his head down to look at her.

"What?" He asked in a quick, furious tone. A tone so angry it made her flinch unintentionally and close her eyes tightly. Ichigo had been so angry with Aizen that he was led into a blind rage, ending up scaring the only other person he could rely on. His brown eyes grew wide with realization and he let go of her arm as if it was on fire. "S-Shit... Sorry, Orihime..." he mumbled, immediately keeping his hands to his sides. His eyes spoke nothing but apologies, but she noticed it was pleading for her to go and change. Perhaps he'd be calmed down by the time she was done.

Feeling her own heart drop, the healer nodded and left to the bathroom to change. Ichigo wanted to hit himself for holding her so hard like that. Surely she'd get a bruise because of his carelessness, and just the thought alone of her being hurt made his stomach twist and turn.

Ichigo shuffled his feet back to the only place to sit in the room: the bed. Once there, he let his battle-worn body collapse onto the plush mattress. He thought he could relax by thinking of different things, but the curiosity of why the hell Aizen had given them such a luxurious mattress made him angry all over again.

"Fuck this..." He mumbled all this, wanting to let go of it all. He could lose himself, in a good way, when he was with Orihime, but now he really wanted to go home. Not to mention take her with him. Ichigo wondered what they'd do when..._if_ they got out, how things would go in "normal life". How would people react to their return? Would Orihime be willing to spend time with him afterwards too? Or would he still provide bitter memories of their stay here?

A small clack of the door stopped his train of thought and the Ryoka half hadn't expected her to change so quickly. Orihime stepped out, her shoulders bare and a good portion of skin on her front side had been exposed. His jaw dropped at her new dress, definitely much different than before.

Compared to the bleak, straightforward fabric of the usual Arrancar uniforms, this appeared to be a lighter fabric, maybe made of cotton. It was a crocheted type of the design on the front, straps and on a small strip of cloth that lie underneath her breasts. The dress extended to about her shins, exposing some pale skin of her legs and cute, bare feet.

Ichigo's face went hot at the biggest difference, which was the immensely deep drop in the neckline, providing very little to the imagination. His heart skipped a beat at the fact her soft looking breasts were now being partially shown to the world. But on the other hand, it made him want to hide her away from everyone else, so they wouldn't see her in such attire. Then the crude thought of just who had this dress ordered made the color drain from his face and his earlier anger return.

Swallowing thickly, he forced his eyes to her face where he met very distressed and tear-filled eyes. His heart automatically dropped at the sight of her crying.

"I-Ichigo-kun, m-my..." Orihime sniffled, taking small, shaky steps towards him with her hands still clutched the back of her neck. "My hair's stuck in the zipper..." She mumbled as she quickened her pace to reach him faster. A small squeak of pain cried from her lips at the sudden movement, but it wasn't long until she was in front of him, gray eyes pleading. "C-Can you help me, Ichigo-kun?" He forced back a chuckle, although it definitely wasn't nice to laugh at her distress, but he found her expression to be oddly endearing. Sitting up, he nodded and motioned for her to turn around. Orihime did as she was told and shifted her small hands from her neck to her side, trembling slightly from the pain.

Ichigo stood up and grabbed a hold of her shoulders first, accidentally making her jump in surprise. Silently, he pushed her forward just a bit more so he could get at the stuck zipper better. Cocking an eyebrow, it didn't take long for him to find the perpetrator of her pain and his fingers began to lightly tug at strands of hair and the nefarious zipper. Orihime occasionally jumped at the unfamiliar pulls, but did her best to stand in one place so he could do his work properly.

"D-Do you have it yet?" Orihime asked, fighting back the rising blush in her cheeks. The fabric of her dress was relatively thin and she could feel his warm knuckles occasionally brush over her back, through the cloth. The healer scolded herself for thinking so scandalously.

Ichigo remained quiet as he pulled the zipper down a bit successfully. Smiling faintly, he brought his face to her shoulder and nuzzled in her neck from behind.

"Got it..." He told her, warm breath fanning over her fair skin. He could definitely feel the shudder course through her body at his "innocent" act. "Anything else I can do for you, Hime?" Ichigo inquired in a low voice, causing her to gasp at the tone. She shook her head, keeping silent. Goodness knows what sort of weird noises she'd make if she opened her mouth. Sneakily snaking his strong arms around her tiny waist, he tenderly kissed her shoulder.

"Sorry about your arm..." He grumbled, feeling guilty all over again. Her auburn locks slightly tickled him on the face as she shook her head again.

"It's okay, Ichigo-kun. You didn't mean to," she spokes simply, but as if out of breath at the same time. Granted, he agreed with her a bit there. He really didn't mean to, but he was still just so angry over how damn close Aizen was to _his_ friend. He felt that only he was allowed to get so close to her. Placing her small hands on his forearms, she let her head loll back lazily, a small, silly smile adorning her features. "I understand Aizen-sama is just trying to get on our nerves." A growl reverberated through his chest as he started to take steps backwards, still holding her all the way.

"I could've sworn I told you not to call him that, Hime," he told her, falling back onto the bed and into a sitting position. The way he sat down was weird and didn't turn out like he wanted it too, but the end result was what desired anyways. Orihime was now perched on his lap and now very much stiff at the new arrangement.

"I-Ichigo-kun, w-what-" Orihime stuttered, clearly shy and embarrassed. Ichigo pushed her auburn locks out of the way to expose her smooth, pale back, and within seconds, he brought his lips to the new scene and planted butterfly kisses all over the flesh. Her name would spill from his lips occasionally, but all Orihime could do was sit there, blushing hard while fisting the fabric of his hakama in her small hands. She knew his hands would keep her from tipping off her new perch, but she still felt the need to hold onto something.

As Ichigo lightly continued to kiss her exposed skin, Orihime's breath would hitch and she arched her back forward a bit. He lavished more attention on a certain spot by the base of her neck, still on her backside, until a small pinch made her jump in her spot. She raised a worried hand to that spot, half-heartedly wondering if she was bitten by a bee of sorts, but instead her raised hand got stopped by him, leaving one arm around her waist and the other on her wrist. His tongue ran over the new sore spot and he glanced at it with half-lidded eyes.

"W-What did you do?" She asked with curiosity in her voice and apparently out of breath. Ichigo wanted to grin at how she could be so relaxed, if that was the right term, from him just kissing her like this.

"Bit you..." He grumbled, releasing her wrist and moving his hand to her legs. _You're mine..._ He possessively thought as he easily picked her up from the spot and spun her around, making her face him with a leg on each side of his. Her lower part of her dress hiked up to her mid-thighs, exposing even more pale skin. Orihime felt her face heat up again at this much more intimate position, due to the fact it seemed like she was straddling him, albeit in a weird way.

"I-Ichigo-kun!" Orihime squealed, fisting the fabric of his top in her small hands. He stopped, a bit of a hurt expression written on his face.

"What's wrong?" He asked, feigning a bit more hurt than he was actually feeling. He didn't want to admit it, but he was still angry from earlier and he only wanted to focus on _her_. To keep it so he only thought about her beautiful auburn hair, temptingly soft skin, and plush and slightly bruised lips.

Screwing her eyes shut, she let her forehead fall on his chest, breath coming out in irregular pants. "I-It's... embarrassing..." She confessed, surprised at her own feelings. She had been fine before, but now she felt so self-conscious now. Maybe it was because they had never done more than kiss before. Even the way she was sitting on his lap made her feel like she was in the raciest, most scandalous event of her lifetime. "I-I'm not... very good at this..." She said rushed, all in one breath. His eyes narrowed and brows went slack. Cupping her face in his large hands, Ichigo forced her to look at him directly, regardless of how shy and nervous she was.

"You don't need to be good at this," he told her simply, speaking as if it was the truth. Her big gray eyes searched his, darting back and forth, and her pink tongue went to wet her suddenly dry lips. "Just do what seems right to you; what you think is comfortable." Ichigo closed the gap between them, starting to move his lips against hers in a series of sweet, but deep kisses. Orihime's hands loosened their grip on the fabric of his top and they shyly made their way to his neck, her slender fingers digging into his bright orange locks.

"B-But..." She stuttered in between kisses. "I-I can't think... when you k-kiss me like that..." She explained while returning the kisses. "I get confused about what I'm supposed to do." She couldn't help but pull him nearer by the neck, wanting to be closer more than they already were. In response, Ichigo rested his hands on her hips, pulling her closer to his own body as well. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to start attack with more fervency as the Ryoka boy inched his somewhat experienced hands closer to her bottom.

"Now you know how I feel when you're around... And you're _always_ around," He half-heartedly explained, shifting his lips from her own towards her bare neck, giving it a firm kiss. Orihime gasped and arched her back towards him, her head rolling back as if offering her neck to him. "But I feel the same," he told her against the soft skin, hands finally on her buttocks. She stiffened at the initial contact, but scolded herself for not calming down and letting him do what he pleased. "I never know what the hell I'm supposed to do with you."

Giving her bottom a squeeze while pulling her closer, Orihime half-gasped, half-moaned at the sudden action, feeling those butterflies morph into a mean snake in her stomach. She'd be more curious as to how the funny animal in her changed into something else if her brain hadn't been so foggy otherwise.

"I-Ichigo..." She groaned, gripping his bright locks even tighter. A year ago, she would've never thought she'd be so close to him like this. Not just physically, however, but on an emotional level. As her eyes fluttered open while he performed his careful kisses on her neck and shoulders, she reasoned with herself that it wasn't an emotional level either. She was being physical with him, plain and simple, with the only emotional connection being her undying love for him.

A shudder went through her body as he fell back onto the bed, making them both lie down with her on top. One of his hands wandered from her backside towards her front, Ichigo not realizing her sudden change in state of thought. He had gotten so caught up in the moment he wasn't thinking so much of her, but rather, just how much better he felt being in such a glorious presence. Maybe one would think there's not much of a difference between the two, but he begged to differ.

He grasped her breast in his large hand, a noticeable moan tearing through her lips and causing Orihime to rest her head on his shoulder in defeat. His palm and digits instinctively grabbed and released the mound, until becoming a pattern of sorts. The Ryoka boy groaned at the softness of it all and how it seemed to continually reshape back to its original form. _I-It doesn't even fit in my hand..._ He mentally groaned again, amazed by the size.

He relished in the thought of how this was the first time she'd let him do such a thing to her. However, as soon as that thought passed, he froze in place and stopped, breaking from his own blissful world and back into the real one. The one where Orihime was apparently stifling sobs in his shoulder and hot tears could be felt through his white shihakusho. She had been crying and he hadn't even noticed.

Ichigo let go of her immediately, hands going away from their previous positions to flat on the bed, gripping the blanket so he wouldn't touch her further. His mind flashed past that thought of, _'her letting him do this to her', _and it started to feel like his blood was flowing backwards. It was like that precious red liquid running through his veins was now poison to him, because he felt absolutely disgusted with himself.

Orihime had given absolutely no motion or words that allowed him to continue. He selfishly kissed her, touched her, done things that were out of her comfort zone, just so _he _could feel that relief again. Part of him wondered if he was getting addicted to that damn feeling. If he had, he knew he should stop; otherwise Orihime would be the one to pay for his selfishness later.

"A-Are you okay?" He asked, immediately regretting asking the question. He groaned, allowing his hand to go up towards his orange bangs and fist the hairs in frustration. He hadn't even apologized for what he did, but instead, asked that stupid, 'Are you okay?' question. How in the world would she be okay? She's stuck in Hueco Mundo, for one, and she just had experienced an onslaught of unasked fondling.

Orihime remained quiet and continued to cry, bringing her tiny hands to rest on his shoulders. She didn't know if she should push herself off and run towards the bathroom or stay here and cry her eyes out. Either would hurt Ichigo, probably making him feel as if it was his fault. Tears started to gush out faster at the thought of him blaming himself.

Deciding to stay there, more or less for a bad attempt at comfort, she stayed on him, stifling the tears. In all honesty, she didn't know entirely what caused her tears. She knew it wasn't Ichigo that hadn't done anything, but as that fleeting thought of only her loving him passed through her mind, it was like a dam broke loose.

As she inhaled deeply through her nose, she knew it was fear that was causing her to be so upset. She truly loved him, and he knew that, yet he still continued to be physical with her while she had no idea of his own feelings. So when they were going to get out from this god-awful place, she had a constant thought in her head.

He was most likely going to leave her and live the rest of his life after this. Not like she ever expected him to love her back though... But her heart still ached at the thought.

Forcing herself off of him, her slender, bare arms laid above his shoulders, by his head, and she looked down to him with pained eyes.

"I-I'm sorry..." Orihime mumbled, another tear falling from her chin and landing on his cheek. He shifted slightly at the accidental drop and he stared back up at her with wide eyes. What was _she_ being sorry for? "I'm always ruining things." She moved off him and perched herself at the end of the bed, her shorter legs dangling off the somewhat taller bed. More sobs spilled from her lips as she frantically wiped her eyes.

"W-What? Orihime, you didn't do anything wrong..." He told her quickly, the bed creaking at his movement towards her. He reached out a hand to touch her shoulder and reassure her, but he stopped short and back-pedaled, telling himself he really shouldn't. "... It's not you, it's me." She glanced back to him nervously, heart beating frantically at his choice of words. Wasn't that what people tended to say when they break up or something?

She averted her gaze again and her lashes stung together due to the large amounts of tears. Biting at her bottom lip, she forced the garbled sounds of her crying to stay in her throat and not escape out. Eventually she felt his warm hand on her shoulder, which caused her to grow alarmed for a moment, but she could tell he meant no harm.

"I... Trust me when I say I feel like shit for forcing you... I never want to put you in a situation that's uncomfortable for you," Ichigo told her from behind her small form, his thumb lazily stroking her exposed skin. "Even the fact you cried makes me feel even worse." Orihime again turned to face him, eyes full of confusion.

_H-He doesn't understand..._ She bitterly thought, her small hands fisting the fabric of her dress. It wasn't that she didn't want to be closer with him. She just feared the time when he'd probably leave her after this was all over. Surely her heart would be broken if things were to get more serious and he just decided he didn't want to affiliate himself with her anymore.

But on the other hand, she knew he was a kind person and wouldn't intentionally hurt others emotionally. Perhaps she's been in Hueco Mundo too long and is now growing too paranoid.

Giving him a weak, tired smile, Orihime turned around to face him again, blowing out a soft breath. "Let's just get some sleep, ne?" She offered the idea, eyes temporarily glancing towards the head of the large mattress. He saw her backwards glance and followed it just the same. Despite what they had just been doing, Ichigo couldn't help but turn a bit red at the thought of sleeping in the same bed as her. As he brought a hand to awkward knead the muscles in his neck, he nodded, clearing his throat at the same time.

Orihime crawled fully onto the bed, her eyes lowered as she made her way towards the top part of the bed, to get under the covers. She still felt bad about her sudden revelation and feelings, but it was decided that she should just put it out of her mind for now. They didn't know when they'd get out, if ever, and she'd fall apart so quickly if she spent her days distressing over his feelings and actions.

As they both made their way under the blankets, soft words of good-nights were mumbled to each other, and they had each faced away from one another, their fronts towards opposite walls. But even as they drifted off into deep slumber, they would shift, rolling over and moving closer to each other. Eventually, Orihime nestled herself into his chest, her small hands lightly holding his shihakusho, while his other arm was draped over her waist.

It was a moment like this that would be the most sweet, tender one they've had in a while. Just merely in each other's arms with minds clear of any doubts and fears. It was just unfortunate that neither of them would ever remember their rare moment of peace.

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	4. Chapter 4

_*Star-Chan* Oooh snap, I was just about to go to bed when I remembered I hadn't re-uploaded the final chapter. (No, this isn't the last one, lol. Just until we update again.) Nagi's been busy with her own, amazing RL, so I believe she hasn't had a good opportunity to work on the 5th one? Or maybe the muse is gone temporarily, IDK MAN. Either way, thank you for being patient with us for now and hopefully we can keep updating for you guys. :) (Now off to snoozeland!)_

* * *

_I can hear her... She's calling me..._

"_Kurosaki-kun! Kurosaki-kun, please! Save us!" A desperate voice cried out into the otherwise silent air, an all too familiar auburn head bowed with tears spilling down her paled cheeks. The girl's fingers dug into the hard ground, the tips growing bruised and bloodied from her hectic breakdown of seeing others get hurt. Inoue Orihime screamed out his name as she scrunched her eyes tight, not knowing what else she could do. _

_Stand up... Stand up, dammit... She needs me!_

_The fallen warrior, Kurosaki Ichigo was lying in front of the tearful healer, when his fingers began to twitch against the cold ground. His nails started to grow longer and his bright orange hair grew much longer, all while inwardly yelling at himself for not rising up. What had happened to the promise to protect her?_

_Now fisting his hand, he ignored the dull pain from his new, sharper nails digging into his skin. His eyes flashed open and revealed not a normal dark brown, but black sclera and glowing golden irises. Looking out now, it wasn't quite what he was expecting to see. Rather than clear, everything was blurred and disoriented. The only thing he could make out where a mass of white and auburn. Scowling hard to himself, fangs began to peek through an opening of his lips._

_Get up... I need to protect her... I will protect her!_

_Orihime suddenly gasped as she soon sensed a familiar, yet bone-chilling reiatsu. It was half Ichigo's, she noted exasperatedly as she turned her head around. She'd soon regret it though, as a gasp escaped her lips. The other half of the reiatsu being..._

_Hollow._

_She couldn't help but let a distressed tear escape as she roamed her eyes over the figure. The ripped hakama was still definitely Ichigo's but now he wore a white mask with red stripes and a pair of horns. Ragged breathing escaped the monster as they locked eyes, causing the healer to stop and hold her breath, her heart racing way too fast for her to keep up._

"_K-Kurosaki... kun..." She just barely whispered, wanted to not believe it was Ichigo in front of her. But the all-too familiar clothing and blinding orange hair gave him away. She shook harder as she kept frozen on the ground, falling into denial as she told herself this wasn't her Kurosaki-kun._

_A roar ripped through the air as the monster in front of her opened its mouth, engulfing an overbearing amount of reiatsu around them both. Orihime instinctively raised her arms to protect herself as she closed her eyes tight, unaware that he was mentally commanding his sword, Zangetsu, to come forth and go into his hand. Once in place, he brought it back down to the ground, creating a loud crash and avalanche of reiatsu recoiling towards the healer. She screamed again as she flew backwards, rebounding on the hard flooring at the sheer force of his swing._

"_Inoue-san!" Cried the voice of her friend, the one whom had caught her from being thrown around. _

_The monster that used to be a sweet, gentle boy took a step forward, not towards them, but towards their enemy. A man of a weaker build, but immensely strong power. The Cuarto Espada, Ulquiorra, with his pale white skin and green tears painted onto his face. His black hair whipped around with the wind and his serious green eyes never left the new hollow foe._

"_Who are you?" He asked, not interested in explanations, but a straight answer. _

_He received none, with the exception of another roar from the monster. Lowering his eyes just a bit, he opened his lips to utter a single word._

"_Die..."_

_Then, in a single moment, the newly transformed vaizard quickly disappeared, using sonido to reappear behind Ulquiorra, who then blocked his attack quite easily. A powerful explosion occurred between them both as the onlookers, Orihime and Ishida kept behind her shield, also narrowly dodging flying debris._

_Ulquiorra did his best to fight off the new monster, yet everything around him blurred as blood spilled from a wound in his shoulder. It was a quick, and unexpected attack that made him grunt in pain before the hollow appeared behind him again. The Cuarto Espada's eyes widened in shock as he quickly dodged the deadly claw that was heading his way before jumping out of the line of attack. His hand shot into the air, a glowing green lance appearing within seconds._

"_Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime shouted, using her hands on the ground to force her weary body into a standing position. Her hair flew around her cheeks but her eyes never blinked nor averted as she watched the gruesome fight. She knew she needed to stop it. She could never live with herself if he got hurt even worse. "Kurosaki-kun, please stop!"_

_Ichigo's claw came down against Ulquiorra and everything froze, as if time had stopped. Everyone was still as the healer's eyes were wide with thick tears, her small hand outstretched and reaching towards the two monsters. His own hand was in the air, almost making contact with the arrancar's head while Ulquiorra had his weapon in the air, ready to block the attack. _

_Suddenly, a bright flash blinded her, causing her to close her eyes for a brief moment. Upon opening them again, Ulquiorra's body was blurred by the smoke around them and Ichigo was lying on the ground. The disturbing red liquid that was blood dropped down to his chest as a black-clawed foot sat roughly against it. Uneven panting came from the vaizard, a crack then appearing on the side of his white mask as the unsparing hollow stared down at him._

"_How... How is this possible?" Ishida whispered, not believing what was happening. "Inoue-san, we must-!" He was cut off as a sob escaped the healer beside him for a short moment, darting off towards Ichigo's fallen form. "Inoue-san, no!"_

"_Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime cried out, tears still falling down her face as she ran towards the two, the only thing in her mind being desperation to save him. She refused to let him get hurt, she refused to let him die. She would give her life to protect the one she loved the most. "Kurosaki-kun!"_

"_You will die here," Ulquiorra murmured, his foot exerting a bit of pressure onto the teen below him. A faint crunch could start to be heard as he finished, "You will die not as a hero, but a monster."_

"_Stop!" A shout came, making the arrancar glance to the side to see the woman he had been in charge of running towards them. Once there, she dropped to the ground, her upper body hovering above Ichigo's face, not caring about the horn poking her in the stomach. "Stop, please!"_

"_Move, woman."_

"_No!" Orihime refused as she screwed her eyes shut before backing up just a bit to look at the man who had promised to protect her. The earlier crack on his mask spread and it grew over more of the white, bone-like cover. Laying her hands on it, those desperately sad tears dripped down as she replied, "I won't let you hurt Kurosaki-kun anymore!"_

"_Move or you will die as well," his tone was menacing as he spoke, making her heart flutter in fear._

"_I...In... o...ue..."_

_Orihime eyes widened as she looked back down to Ichigo, seeing his eyes shine through the holes of the mask. Only this time, they had gone back to his normal brown. There was no alarmingly different gold. "P-Pro... tect..."_

_Her face fell and tears stung at her eyes upon hearing that single word. "N-No, you don't have to, Kurosaki-kun!" She sobbed. "Y-You don't have to protect me anymore!"_

_His eyes started to close even though Orihime was crying out his name, begging him to stay with her. Ulquiorra watched with disinterest, his foot still on his chest. All it took was one more push of his foot and Kurosaki Ichigo would be dead._

"_K-Kurosaki-kun, s-stay! Stay with me please!" She cried out again as she let her head drop and rest her wet cheek against his broken mast, sobbing. "Don't leave me alone!"_

_Ichigo's eyes closed completely while a ripping sound rang through the air, a black hole appearing in the air behind Ulquiorra. Glancing back, green eyes met cold brown ones, filled with nothing but amusement._

"_... Welcome back, Aizen-sama."

* * *

_

Ichigo snapped up into the chilled air, panting just as hard as he was in his dream. His eyes were filled with nothing but sheer terror, fear, pain. Just when he thought things couldn't get worse here, he had to have a nightmare about the initial event that kept them both here.

He fisted the sheets beneath him while holding back odd choking sounds, trying not to wake the woman beside him. He was not only freaked by what just happened, but he was angry at himself for getting so fucking weak. Back in Karakura, whenever he had a nightmare, he would just take a few deep breaths and maybe get a glass of water, but here... Here things didn't work that easily.

Orihime stirred beside him, cooing to herself as she flipped onto her other side, now facing him. The shinigami watched her out of the corner of his eye, not wanting to make obvious eye contact. He could feel his nails digging into palm but he scowled and ignored the ache. In a sense, it kept him reminded that he was in the present. Maybe they were under a constant threat of death in Las Noches, but at least he wasn't bloodied on the roof of this fortress with Orihime breaking down over his slowly dying body.

Shuddering, Ichigo didn't notice Orihime flutter her eyes open half-way, at first not really focused on anything. But upon images clearing up, she noticed Ichigo was no longer sleeping like she just was. He was sitting up, his head purposely faced towards the wall with the window. The small amount of light from the false moon outside those walls was just enough to see his outline and bits of his bright hair.

"Ichigo...kun?" She spoke slowly, forcing herself up with one hand as well while rubbing her eye with the other. He didn't move at all at her soft call to him, making her feel more confused about what was wrong. "Why are you awake?"

He didn't say anything, but it was then where he turned around to face her, eyes full of bitter emotions as he grabbed a hold of her shoulders, pulling her into a tight hug. Orihime squeaked unintentionally due to the unexpectedness of it all, but she soon melted into it, albeit baffled. She wasn't quite sure what to do with her hands, so she kept them tucked between the two of them, her lean fingers clutching at his shihakusho.

His warm breath on her neck sort of tickled as well as his own fingers digging deep into her hair. He didn't appear to keep a steady rhythm of breathing as he held her, almost as if something had alarmed him, he noticed. Even without saying anything, she could tell by his body language that something had made him on edge. So instead, she let her arms come out from between them and laced them around his midsection, giving him a small squeeze to show she was here. Ichigo responded just the same and buried his face deeper into the crook of her shoulder, a shaken sigh escaping him.

"It's okay, Ichigo-kun..." Orihime whispered, trying to soothe the boy. "Everything is alright." Even in this hellhole, she gave a statement like that for reassurance anyways. The shinigami kept quiet for a while longer, just letting himself calm down in her arms. So the two remained silent for what seemed like forever until Ichigo pulled apart, eyes purposely not meeting hers. She couldn't help but tug at his sleeve, still wanting to know what happened.

"I... Sorry..." Was all he said, his long orange locks falling in his face and hiding his eyes. Orihime felt a small sense of rejection at his lack of words and dropped her hands to her sides. She was hurting on the inside because he refused to tell her anything. What happened to being able to talk to each other here? Being the only humans, they _needed_ to rely on one another.

Giving him a curt nod, Orihime just hid her frown and laid back down, her back facing him again. She had to close her eyes tightly to keep tears from freely spilling out. Yet she couldn't even hold back a sigh, making her shoulders rise and fall with the distressed breath.

She could hear the bed creak under his weight as he fell into the same position, sighing just as hard. Orihime had to bring her hand up to wipe a stray droplet away, wondering why he was being so silent.

But just then, Ichigo tenderly wrapped his arm around her waist, spooning her from behind. "Is it okay..." He started cautiously, not wanting to seem too forceful. "If I hold you?" She still felt a bit of hurt from before, but a bit of relief appeared once he asked that question. She knew something was wrong, but at least she knew he wasn't upset with her.

Silently agreeing, she snuggled into his chest, her back flush up against it with a weak smile playing on her lips.

"Goodnight, Ichigo-kun..."

"... Goodnight... Orihime..."

* * *

He didn't have any reason to move around, to be honest. That bastard Aizen had yet to call him down for another mission and none of the other Arrancar were bothering him. So now he stayed on the bed, just the same as when he'd woken up. The only difference was Orihime had gone to shower and he personally discarded his shihakusho onto the ground, leaving him with an exposed chest and even more exposed scars. There were times all that fabric was just plain annoying.

But truth be told, he hadn't gotten any sleep after originally waking up. Sure, sleeping by Orihime gave him a sense of relief; feeling just surrounded by _her_, but his mind was unforgiving and refused to forget about his nightmare. He supposed it was meant to keep as a reminder of their captivity here.

Sighing again, Ichigo brought a hand over his eyes in defeat. How could he be so weak? He can still remember the initial ache in his chest after they were brought to Las Noches and at first, he wanted it to heal normally so it could provide as that exact purpose of a reminder. How he failed Orihime, he told himself. But he regretfully accepted her wishes to heal him, because if he wasn't healed, he wouldn't be able to protect her.

The shinigami almost wanted to laugh bitterly to himself as he noted all these thoughts were driving him to insanity. It wasn't too bad before when they were separated, but being able to see her battle-worn face made him feel immense guilt.

Just then, a slam startled him, causing him to rise up from his lying spot on the bed and into a sitting position again, eyes darting around to find the source of noise. He saw it was Orihime that had slammed the bathroom door open, her face with a mixed expression of fear and embarrassment.

"I-Ichigo-kun, p-please..." She shakily spoke, tightening her hold on the small towel around her body. Ichigo couldn't help but glance at her form quick, a small blush threatening to tug at his cheeks. He had to shake it off though and stand up and help her.

"What's wrong?" He questioned, nearing her small form. She seemed to blush a bit as well as her eyes glanced back at the bathroom.

"T-There's a...a..."

"... A what?"

"...B-Bug!" She suddenly cried, slight fear evident in her voice. Ichigo froze, wondering if she was really serious.

"Hime... A bug, really?" He asked again, a bit of bewilderment in his tone. Orihime blushed harder while her small shoulders shook, her gray eyes full of nothing but shame.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I just-" She was cut off as Ichigo went back into the bathroom, grumbling lightly to himself. It wasn't that he was upset with her, but he figured she was in a figurative hell; the least she could do is handle a measly bug.

But then again, those hollow bugs were always ugly looking bastards. Ichigo growled at it, seeing it in the corner of the shower. _I'll teach you not to mess with Orihime..._ He thought to himself as he promptly grabbed the shower head and pointed it towards the sucker. Forcing the water back on, Ichigo saw the nasty thing get flushed down the drain and away from the shower. Just a small smug feeling arose in him – although it was just a bug – and he felt some sort of power. At least he could protect Orihime from _one_ thing.

Just as silently as he entered the bathroom, he exited just the same. He stood in front of the young healer, eyes not completely able to look into hers.

"I... It's gone, so you can finish up," he told her awkwardly, bringing his hand to knead the back of his neck. He didn't particularly like this awkwardness he was giving her. She did nothing wrong, yet it seemed like he was trying avoid her. Perhaps the nightmare and his forced actions from the day before played a bigger toll on him than he thought.

Orihime looked up to him with big, sad eyes. She really did want to ask him what was wrong and help him get through it, but after being here for a year, she knew he still kept quiet about things; a lot of things, actually.

So instead, although still in her fluffy white towel, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Ichigo's midsection, giving him a hug. He seemed startled at first, not expecting the embrace, but he seemed to just as awkwardly wrap his arms around her shoulders. The softness of her skin definitely did not go unnoticed as he pressed his cheek against her damp hair.

"I love you..." She whispered sheepishly, her tone low enough to show she was flustered a bit. Ichigo rolled his eyes to the floor and exhaled shakily.

"... I know..."

"W-We'll be okay, Ichigo-kun..." She continued, holding him tighter, almost like he might disappear.

"... Yeah..." They said those words so often to each other – "We'll be okay," – yet with each passing time, it felt more and more like they wouldn't be. No way in hell could he tell her that though; he wouldn't dare tell her he thought they'd be stuck here forever. "... You'd better go finish up," he told her in a quiet voice, regrettably pulling her away from the hug. "You'll get a cold if you're out here like this."

Orihime didn't really want to leave him now, not after she saw a particularly disheartening look in his eyes. It was one of pure pain and depression and it made her heart lurch uncomfortably. But she knew if she didn't go and finish up, he just might get upset with her that she'd be forcing him to talk. Ichigo was never one to talk about his feelings anyways.

So she shyly nodded and made her way back into the separate room, making sure she glanced one more time at the boy she adored. He had already turned back around and made his way back to the bed, however, so he never saw the look Orihime gave him.

Ichigo heard a soft click of the door as he stood at the foot of the mattress, scowling hard to himself. Bending down to pick up his discarded shihakusho, he frowned further and growled at the bleak whiteness of it all; the color of their imprisonment and Orihime's lost freedom.

He lifted high as he fisted the fabric, ready to throw it across the room and yell. This stress and guilt would be the death of him! Then again, Ichigo was sure he'd died a long time ago, losing his true personality a while back. He only did what he did for Orihime. Otherwise he knew he wasn't himself, nor would he ever be again. The façade he put up was the only thing that kept them both sane to an extent.

_Goddammit!_ He inwardly roared, just about to drop the shihakusho when another door slid open. It wasn't the one Orihime was just in, but the one leading into their room. In between the doorframe stood an all too familiar Espada that gave Ichigo's stomach a good flip.

"Come with me... Shinigami."

* * *

He noted Aizen looked ridiculous as always as he sat upon his high perch, over 100 feet taller than him. That smug look on his face made Ichigo want to smack him too, thinking he should get off his high horse and stop being an ass.

But this was Aizen, of course.

"Just what the fuck did you call me for, you bastard?" Ichigo cursed, folding his arms across his chest. Aizen looked at him curiously, raising his brow at the teen's behavior.

"I wouldn't use such harsh language, Kurosaki Ichigo," he warned cautiously, letting his eyes close while a sinister smile played on his lips. "You wouldn't want me to give you a punishment, would you?"

"I don't give a damn..." Ichigo growled, his eyes falling to the floor. "Being here is already punishment enough, asshole."

"Hm... But what about Orihime? Goodness knows what might happen if her protector wasn't there."

Ichigo froze upon the mention of the gentle healer. As much as he wanted to say Aizen was bluffing, that evil man was _not_ one to bluff about anything. He could separate them easily and he could have them both killed even quicker. Glancing back up, he gave him sharp eyes as his hands fell to his sides and formed into tight fists.

"You leave her alone..." He warned thickly, feeling adrenaline rushing through his body.

"Do not worry," Aizen spoke calmly, suddenly standing up. "I wouldn't dare pulling you two apart right now, nor am I interested in killing you both." Ichigo scoffed and felt bitter about the man's words. He was a guy that couldn't be fucking trusted.

"Then why the hell did you call me here?" He asked harshly, their eyes locking.

"You and Orihime are to do something for me," Aizen spoke slowly, amusement playing on his face. "In fact, it's something only you two can do." Ichigo's color drained from his face at the idea of her on a mission. All the killing and destruction he handled on his own missions were not for her eyes.

"Another mission?"

"You could classify it as that, yes." Aizen looked down to the Ryoka boy, a full smirk on his lips as he pointed to Ichigo's small figure.

"You and Inoue Orihime are to bear a child."

.

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	5. Chapter 5

_Hi there! This is Ombre Nocturne (or Nagi, as most of you guys know me.) I've finally been able to finish my first ever collab chapter, so I'm really excited to see what you guys think! :D This chapter is quite angsty, but I hope you guys still enjoy it. Also, I know it's really short – especially compared to the previous chapters written by Star – but I hope that you guys will overlook that. Plus, it sets it up for the next chapter Star writes quite nicely. Regardless, I promise that the next chapter I write will be longer! D8_

* * *

Several moments passed in which Ichigo was unable to do anything except stare at his nemesis in abject horror. Swallowing thickly, he clenched his hand into a fist at his side in order to hide the slight tremor he seemed unable to squelch.

"You've got to be shitting me," he ground out through clenched teeth. "Is this your idea of some sort of sick joke?"

"I'm being quite serious, Kurosaki. You and Orihime are to conceive a child," replied Aizen coolly, his lips quirking upwards into a satisfied smirk.

"Fat chance!" shouted Ichigo. His blood surged as the rage and hatred towards the former captain threatened to overwhelm him, his eyes glinting dangerously. "There's no way in hell that I'd ever force Orihime to do that!"

Turning on his heel, he marched towards the exit, intent on leaving the room despite Aizen not dismissing him. There was no reason for him to stay and listen to Aizen's illusions of grandeur.

"Not even if it meant your freedom?"

Freezing, his hand mere millimeters from the door handle, Ichigo's eyes widened in disbelief. His heart hammered painfully in his chest as he slowly turned to face his captor. Upon seeing the satisfied glint in Aizen's eyes, his stomach twisted painfully. Glowering at the former captain, Ichigo hesitantly returned to his position standing before Aizen. His mind raced as he tried to form a coherent thought amongst the turbulent emotions raging through him.

All he was able to utter was a simple, "Why us?"

"It's quite simple really," began Aizen. Ichigo glowered at the pleasant, conversational tone he was using; any passerby would assume they were simply discussing the weather. "You are exceptionally strong, considering you are but a mere human. Not to mention there are your hollow powers." Ichigo's countenance visibly darkened at this comment, but Aizen simply ignored it and continued.

"Orihime's powers are quite unique for a human as well. Rather, her powers are unlike any other abilities I have seen before. I simply wish to see what would happen if we were to combine these two very different, yet equally powerful, abilities."

Aizen waited patiently as his words sunk in to the dense shinigami's head. An amused smirk played about the corners of his lips as a horrified look of recognition contorted Ichigo's features. Lowering his head, Ichigo curled his hands into fists, his body shaking with rage and anguish.

"So we're just an experiment to you," he said quietly, his bangs shielding his tormented expression from Aizen.

"In layman's terms, yes."

"I won't do it."

Aizen's eyes widened ever-so-slightly at the shinigami's defiant tone, but he quickly masked his surprise and rested his chin on his hand. While he found the two humans interesting, he was quickly becoming bored with his conversation with the redhead.

"And why is that? Do you not wish for freedom?"

"I won't... I won't put Orihime through that," mumbled Ichigo. He suddenly turned his gaze up to face Aizen, his eyes blazing with a mixture of fury and anguish. "I refuse to!"

Aizen shook his head sadly, almost as if he was disappointed with the outcome of their conversation. "I'm sorry to hear that, Kurosaki. However, if you do not do as I say, then I cannot guarantee that nothing will happen to poor Orihime."

"You bastard! Don't you dare lay a finger on her!" bellowed Ichigo. Just as he was about to lunge at the former captain, two pairs of strong arms wrapped around his upper arms, restraining him. He struggled against the arrancar's hold in vain as they slowly dragged him towards the exit, his only urge to rip that smug smile off Aizen's face.

"I suggest you consider my proposal, Kurosaki," called Aizen. "After all, this may be the only chance you'll have at regaining your freedom."

* * *

"God damn it!"

Slamming his fist against the wall, Ichigo ground his teeth in irritation, the dull throbbing of his knuckles doing nothing to ease his sense of hopelessness. After he had been dragged from Aizen's throne room, he was unceremoniously thrown into the hallway.

"You best do what Aizen-sama says," said one of the Arrancar coldly.

"Yeah! Wouldn't want your precious nakama to get hurt, now would we?" sneered the other.

Ichigo glowered at them, a bitter taste in his mouth as they turned on their heels to stalk down the hallway. Even in their wake, he could hear them mocking him.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he exhaled harshly, his earlier rage subsiding and leaving him with a feeling of unease settling in his stomach. What was he supposed to say to Orihime? 'Hey, I just talked to Aizen and we're supposed to have a kid'? Yeah right. Punching the wall again, his thoughts swirled about in jumbled sentences.

_What can I say to her? I can't just make her do something like that because that bastard wants us to_, he thought miserably.

His hand dropped from the wall to hang limply at his side as he mulled over his options. Running a hand through his hair, he slowly began to make his way down the hallway towards the room he shared with Orihime. With each step he took, his mouth settled into a grim line as he decided on what he should do.

* * *

Twisting her fingers together, Orihime anxiously tapped her foot against the floor as she gazed out the window from her perch on the end of the bed. When she had emerged from the bathroom, she had been startled to find that Ichigo was nowhere to be found. Her immediate reaction was to fret over whether he had become annoyed with her trivial fear of bugs and left, but upon sensing the fading reiatsu of an arrancar near the doorway, her irrational fear quickly subsided.

After dressing and brushing her hair, she tried to carry out her usual motions, but something continued nagging at her, hinting that something wasn't quite right. Pacing the room, she worried her lower lip as her brows furrowed in thought.

It was quite possible that Aizen had summoned him to give him yet another assignment, but it wasn't like Ichigo to be absent for _this_ long.

Fearing she would wear a tread in the plush carpeting if she continued her pacing, she flopped onto the edge of the soft mattress, a sigh escaping her. Resting her chin on the palm of her hand, she turned to look out the window at the ever present crescent moon. Even though she tried so hard to keep her hopes up that they would be able to escape this horrid play someday, she couldn't ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach whenever she thought about freedom.

What would she go home to?

Surely nothing in Karakura or Soul Society had remained the same after the Winter War. A shiver wracked her petite frame as she screwed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the helplessness that was threatening to overwhelm her. Shaking her head, she refused to think negatively. They would find a way out of here, no matter what it took.

The sound of the doorknob turning woke her from her reverie and as she turned to face the doorway, she was relieved to see Ichigo walking through the doorway. Just as she was about to welcome him back, she noticed the tormented look in his eyes as he glanced at her briefly before closing the door with a soft click. Pushing herself to her feet, she hurried to his side, worry overriding any sort of rational thought.

"Ichigo-kun?" she asked softly, trying to keep her voice from trembling. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he murmured.

Orihime's brows furrowed in concern at his low tone, knowing full well that something happened outside of the safety of their room. Biting her lower lip, she weighed her options. She could either press him for information - which would likely result with him becoming angry with her - or she could leave him alone and simply wait for him to come to her with what was bothering him.

Deciding that it would be best to let him talk to her when he was ready, she turned to walk towards the bed, intent on lying down for a bit. Her eyes widened as a pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around her waist, pulling her back flush against his chest. Her cheeks flushed slightly as his breath fanned against her earlobe, his nose bumping against the side of her head.

"I-Ichigo-kun..."

"We'll be okay," he murmured, tightening his grip around her waist. "I promise."

"U-uhn," whispered Orihime. Her heart clenched painfully at his words and she bit her lower lip.

She knew something had happened and it was obvious that Ichigo wasn't going to tell her anytime soon.


	6. Chapter 6

_*Star-chan* Y-Yay, another short chapter! 8D;; I dunno what happened, I just couldn't pull the usual TL;DR out for this chapter, but... Just like Nagi's last chapter, I think this shows the intent, and... Yeah, just go ahead and read it. XD Thanks for all your reviews for her last chapter!_

* * *

_Just fight..._

_Attack..._

_Fight, dammit!_

Ever since their cold-hearted captor, Aizen, informed them of their new 'mission', Kurosaki Ichigo felt as if his blood flowed backwards, prickling him in the most uncomfortable way. How could he stand to force Orihime to bear a child against her will? In truth, he actually couldn't. The times he was back in their room, he'd melt in her presence, just like usual, until Aizen's words ran through his head again and he felt sick to his stomach.

Grinding his teeth together, Ichigo gripped Zangetsu and swung it over his head, preparing to strike the renegade hollow he'd been ordered to kill in front of him.

"_Getsuga... Tenshou!" _He roared, swinging the blade down to slice his huge enemy. The condensed, black energy around Zangetsu promptly cut the hollow in half, making the monster disintegrate into tiny particles and disappear.

Usually with the adrenaline and blood rushing through him so quickly while fighting, Ichigo was spared a fleeting moment to feel not so guilty about what he'd have to do. What _they_ would have to do.

An all-too familiar cackle sent that moment of relief from guilt away, and Ichigo was forced to turn around and see who it was. He had a pretty good guess anyway, but he'd usually be made to turn around regardless. There was no plainly ignoring Espada.

"Nnoitra..." The shinigami grumbled, gripping the clothed hilt of his sword. "What the fuck do you want?" The arrancar merely grinned at the significantly shorter man, his smile so sinister it tempted to send shivers down Ichigo's back. The teen would be damned though if he showed fear for this pathetic bastard.

"Can't I just check on Aizen-sama's little pet when I want to?" Nnoitra chuckled, his lanky body moving to circle around Ichigo. "It's been a good while now, shinigami, and I wanted to know how things were going with the little princess."

"Why the hell would you care?" Ichigo snapped, growing frustrated he was talking about Orihime so freely. Truth was, it had been a couple weeks now and Ichigo had yet to make a move regard Aizen's 'plan'. He hadn't even told her yet.

"Aizen-sama's getting mad," Nnoitra responded, shrugging his shoulders. "But you're right... Why should I care?" He stopped circling Ichigo and began to make slow steps towards Las Noches. "I don't give a damn if the little girl gets messed with because _you_ were trying to be chivalrous and not do a fucking thing."

"What was that, Nnoitra!" Ichigo's voice rose to a loud yell, his heart pounding hard and fast in his chest, making it hard to hear from the blood rushing in his ears. "I've been with Orihime the entire time, you lying freak." The Quinto Espada stopped in his tracks and turned to face the mess of a shinigami, a god-awful smirk on his features that made Ichigo's stomach drop to his toes.

"Yeah... But you've been gone a while today, haven't you?"

* * *

A soft sigh escaped the parted lips of the gentle healer, whom now kept herself curled into a small ball on the mattress in their room. Orihime never liked it when Ichigo went on missions. The feeling of loneliness in addition to fear of bad people coming into her room with her worry over Ichigo's safety... It made her heart tug and twist, not used to holding so many feelings at once. When Ichigo was with her, she just kept herself focused on him, if she could. Other than that, she became a blubbering mess.

Taking a strand of her auburn hair in her fingers, she twirled it around her finger. A thought had plagued her for the last few weeks. The shinigami boy she loved seemed particularly distant, as if his mind was kept elsewhere. He kept himself close to her physically, actually holding her close whenever he could, yet he never connected with her otherwise. He hadn't given her more than kiss on the forehead either.

Pouting her lips, Orihime's cheeks burned dully as she ashamedly admitted in her head that she missed Ichigo's kisses. They always made her feel like she was on top of the world, like they weren't trapped here in this figurative hell. But on the other hand, she knew her thinking was greedy and selfish. Ichigo only seemed to pay more attention to her and their friendship _after_ they were captured and taken here. Perhaps it was only because they were in such close proximity all the time.

She sighed again, flopping onto her back. She could feel her dress hiking up her thighs due to her restless tossing and turning, but she didn't think Ichigo would be back for a while. Letting her eyes flutter closed, one thing running through her mind.

_I... I love him so much..._

Even after this long time here, she felt her feelings for the boy had been just as strong as ever, if not more. Maybe ever since he started kissing her and hugging her, things she only imagined in daydreams, her love grew exponentially. She even thought her feelings for him were one of the only things that kept her here. Orihime knew she would've gone mad without him, from being trapped with soulless devils, only wanting bad things.

The door slammed open quite loud, causing her to snap up from her lying position. With wide, startled eyes, she saw Ichigo at the door, his hand gripped around the knob tightly as he panted, his hair sticking to his sweaty skin.

"Ichigo-kun?" She called his name carefully, her thoughts of her love for him changing over to worry. "You're back so soon." Ichigo stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. Once inside, he let his weary body collapse against the hard wood, sliding himself down so he sat on the floor.

_Not soon enough..._He mentally groaned, threading his hands through his bright orange hair. _Dammit, that bastard got me again..._

Orihime got herself off the bed, her feet on auto-pilot towards him. Making soft sounds against the floor, her bare feet soon came into view for Ichigo, whom was trying to calm his erratically beating heart. Here he had thought the arrancar finally made a move on Orihime, when he wasn't around, no less, but Nnoitra had just lied like every other time.

Either way, it wasn't the only thing he focused on. Now that he was back in the room, his thoughts flooded back to the dreaded news he desperately wanted to keep Orihime from. He didn't want to tell her Aizen commanded they outright have sex so they can conceive a child for his nefarious scheme. It was so wicked and warped, he refused to put her through that kind of horrors.

But he couldn't keep it from her. She _deserved _to know.

_Fuck... This is such a mess..._

He felt her small, smooth hand cup his cheek, making Ichigo flinch unintentionally. Dropping his hands, he raised his head to meet his brown eyes with hers. Oddly enough, aside from the usual concern and compassion she had in her gray irises, they held odd warmth in them, something he hadn't seen for quite a while.

"Orihime..." Ichigo groaned her name, leaning into her careful touch. He raised a tentative hand to keep on hers, his thumb brushing over her fair skin. This was something he had missed over the past few weeks, losing himself with her. He had refused before because he feared of going too far and messing up the situation even more.

Slowly moving his hands to her hips, Ichigo closed his eyes and pulled the small healer into his lap, her dress hiking up to her thighs again as she straddled him. He could feel his blood starting to race again, only feeling immensely better this time compared to the rest. It didn't feel like he would get himself sick to his stomach this round.

Mumbling her name again, Ichigo brought his lips to hers, meeting in an unhurried, tender kiss. Orihime seemed to have missed this too, seeing as she leaned onto his slim form, her breasts pressing up against the hard plains of Ichigo's front. She always loved how her he made her feel. She worried his feelings for her, whatever they were, had changed over the past few weeks, but with his kisses now, she didn't feel so alarmed.

Her fingers lightly gripped his white shihakusho, her cheeks growing to burn a dull heat at his carefully instructed kisses. He made one move and she did the next, giving and taking. Tracing his tongue along the outside of her lips, he silently asked his healer for permission to enter before continuing. Like every other time, she more than willingly complied and opened her mouth, allowing him to slip his tongue in and thoroughly taste her. Another groan rang out from the shinigami as he slanted his mouth over hers over and over again, growing with passion with each kiss.

"I-Ichigo-kun..." Orihime mumbled his name as Ichigo pulled away to kiss at her slender neck instead. A small, smug smirk graced the boy's lips at the thought of how she said his name. It made it seem like she truly enjoyed being with him, even if they were in this hellhole.

Pressing his lips to her neck, Ichigo's hands travelled over her back, feeling her body heat radiate through the fabric as he moved. His palms and digits eventually stopped to rest on her lower hips, close to a possibly indecent place, but Orihime paid no mind to that, and more onto the fact he was suckling the skin on her neck. Perhaps he was trying to make another mark in place of the one he made a few weeks ago?

Ichigo gave her bottom a small squeeze, making Orihime's breath hitch as she tried to bury her head somewhere in embarrassment. Such proved to be difficult, seeing as the Ryoka boy was pretty adamant on keeping his own face buried in the crook of her neck and shoulder. Grasping it again, Ichigo instinctively rose his hips to meet with hers in time with his squeezing, making her moan out quite loudly. He was bent on doing it again and possibly go further when a horribly familiar thought entered his head, making him freeze mid-contact with his hips to hers.

"I-Ichigo-kun...?" Orihime asked in her sugary sweet voice, quiet as she tried to regain her breath from their little session. He kept silent as he carefully moved his hands away and to wrap around her small form instead, keeping his head bowed. "Ichigo-kun," she tried calling him again, but he grunted in response.

"Just stay like this for a moment..." He told her firmly, yet his voice had a tinge of wavering to it. Orihime's heart had been racing before, for obviously different reasons, but now she was growing alarmed all over again.

The two kept close and quiet for some time before Ichigo sighed against her shoulder, his warm breath fanning over her skin. "Orihime..." He called her name softly, his voice still sounding strained. "We need to talk."

His words made her freeze as well. She didn't like his tone of voice and it made her grow scared. Her mind was racing a mile a minute at what it could be. At worst, she imagined he would tell her they couldn't talk anymore, that he hated her now. Tears threatened to brim her eyes but she took a deep, shuddering breath before nodding.

Sliding his hands to his shoulders, Ichigo forcibly separated himself from her so he could look her eye-to-eye. He really wished he didn't though, because as soon as he pulled them apart, he could see the obviously worried and saddened expression, which made his stomach turn in agony.

"Orihime..." He mumbled her name, his will to tell her already faltering. He hadn't even said a word, yet she looked so sad and it made his heart ache. But a look in her eyes spoke of 'wanting to get it over with'; more than likely meaning she wanted to know without beating around the bush. "Orihime, Aizen..."

"...Hai?" She asked quietly, her voice low which made him even more nervous. With his hands shaking, he carefully cuped her cheeks and did his best to keep his eyes on hers.

"Hime... Aizen... He wants us to have a baby..."

.

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	7. Chapter 7

_This was a long time in the making and I'd like to apologize for that. Star was super patient with me and didn't pressure me to write, which is both good and bad. So thank you, bb. :) A big thank you to everyone who has reviewed, faved, and alerted this fic! You guys make it so much more fulfilling to write this stuff! I hope you like the chapter and that it makes up for the long wait!_

* * *

Blinking rapidly, Orihime prayed that she had misheard what Ichigo had just said. "Eh?"

"He...he wants us to have a baby, Orihime. I don't know why, but he said that..." he swallowed past the lump in his throat and hoped his voice didn't sound too gravelly as he continued, "He said that he'd let us go...if we...you know..."

Pushing herself off of his lap and to her feet, Orihime laughed nervously as she anxiously twisted her fingers together. Surely this had to be some sort of joke. Ichigo was just joking, right? "You're joking, right? This is just a joke. A really, really bad one, but it's still just a joke."

"I wish I was but...I'm serious," murmured Ichigo, his heart aching at her blatant attempts at denial. "You know I'd _never_ try to pressure you into this if we didn't have to. Aizen...you know what he's capable of."

Biting her lower lip, Orihime turned her back towards the shinigami, her small frame trembling slightly as she tried to hold back her tears. Here she was, being held as a prisoner of war with the man she loved and now her captor was asking – no, _telling_ – them to have a child together? Clenching her tiny hands into tight fists, she refused to think about what Aizen wanted a child for. Her blood was pounding so loudly in her ears that she didn't hear Ichigo approaching her.

"Orihime..." Reaching out to gently touch her shoulder, he pulled his hand back when she flinched under his touch.

Feeling sick to his stomach for causing her so much anguish, he ignored the tremors traveling through her body as he gripped her shoulders firmly and turned her around so that she faced him. His brows furrowed when he noticed her unshed tears and he reached up to brush away the liquid pooling in the corners of her eyes with the pad of his thumb.

"Why..." Orihime's voice trembled as she tried to wrap her mind around this new development. "Why is he doing this to us?"

Cupping her cheek, Ichigo looked into her pain-stricken eyes and wished that he could take her somewhere; somewhere far, far away from this hellhole and the distress it was causing her. "I don't know, but it doesn't seem like we have much of a choice, Hime."

"Couldn't he just use the Hyogyoku to create a child? Maybe if he does that, he won't need us to..." She trailed off as she realized that she was being irrational...and desperate. Aizen only asked them to do things if it was in his personal interest or attributed to personal gain. "Ichigo-kun, I... We're only teenagers..." she pleaded.

Ichigo's heart ached when their gazes met; he could clearly see the desperation in her eyes and he desperately wished he could tell her that it was all just a joke. An incredibly sick one, but a joke none the less. Oh, how he wished he could...

"Like that bastard cares about age," spat Ichigo bitterly. Taking a deep breath, he tried to contain his bitter emotions for the sake of the woman before him. "But...we don't have a choice."

"I know..." she whispered.

Bowing her head, she felt him wrap his arms around her to pull her close so that he could comfort her. She clutched at the white fabric covering his chest, fresh tears welling in her eyes. Biting her lower lip, she hoped to keep her emotions in check, but a soft sob escaped her lips. Once it had escaped, it was as if a dam had ruptured and all of her emotions came rushing out at once.

Ichigo held on tightly, dropping to the floor with her as she sunk to her knees, sobs ripping through her chest and hot tears streaming down her cheeks, soaking his shihakusho. For the first time in his life, he felt completely and utterly helpless as the woman he had come to love sobbed uncontrollably in his arms. The worst part was that he had no way to comfort her. Frowning, he mindlessly stroked her hair in an effort to soothe her, his stomach clenching in anxiety.

_'I'm so sorry, Orihime...'_

* * *

Several days had passed since Ichigo had broken the news of Aizen's orders to Orihime. She had cried for what seemed like hours and Ichigo bitterly remembered how he hadn't had a way to comfort her. He could tell her that everything would be alright a thousand times, but they both knew that nothing would ever be the same. Glancing over his shoulder as he pulled his boots on, his brows furrowed at her form, curled up on the furthest edge of their large bed. She hadn't said a word since he broke the news of their fate, but that wasn't what bothered him. What bothered him the most was that she refused to look at him. Even if she did turn her gaze towards him, it was empty, almost as if she was looking right through him.

Sighing, he finished preparing for his newest assignment by strapping Zangetsu – the only part that reminded him of things past – and padded over towards Orihime's position. She was curled up, her auburn hair strewn about on the pristine white sheets. Her gaze, empty and unseeing, was focused on the white wall in front of her. Running a hand through his hair, he knelt beside the bed, gingerly brushing her bangs out of her eyes. His scowl deepened when she didn't move; she didn't even try to avoid his touch anymore.

"Hime, I have to go out for a little bit," he murmured as he stroked her silken hair. "I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

His gut twisted into a painful knot when she didn't respond, but he forced himself to rise to his feet despite his apprehension of leaving her alone. Sending one last glance her way, he made his way towards the doorway. He paused for a split second before opening the door and exiting the room, the door closing with a soft click.

As soon as the sound of the door closing greeted her ears, tears welled up in Orihime's eyes. Clutching at the soft sheets beneath her, she bit back a sob as she replayed the events from the last few days in her head. She felt horrible for the way she had been treating Ichigo, but she was still having trouble wrapping her mind around what Aizen wanted them to do.

Shakily, she pushed herself into a sitting position, her hands instinctively wiping away her bothersome tears. Her hair had become tangled since she had barely moved from her spot on the bed and dark circles had formed under her eyes from lack of sleep. Even at night, she shrunk away from Ichigo's warmth, afraid that she would wake him with her quiet sobbing. No matter how much she cried, she never seemed to run out of tears.

Running her fingers through the tangled ends of her hair, she frowned at how unkempt it had become over the last few days. Feeling thoroughly disgusted with herself, she pushed herself off of the bed for the first time in days and padded towards the bathroom, wanting nothing more than to take a hot shower. Kicking the door shut, she turned the knob of the shower a few times to start the water before holding her hand under the stream of water as she adjusted the temperature. After getting the water to her liking, she quickly disrobed, shivering slightly before immersing herself in the hot liquid.

Unfortunately, the mindless task of washing her hair couldn't hold her attention for long and her thoughts wandered back to their current predicament. Her heart ached whenever she caught Ichigo staring at her, that tenderness in his eyes that usually shone through when he let his guard down clouded by worry. Sure, she had always daydreamed of marrying him and having children; perhaps they'd have twins, a boy and a girl. The boy would be the spitting image of Ichigo, but with her warm brown eyes and the girl the spitting image of her. During school, she'd giggle softly to herself as she imagined what their family would be like.

But now she dreaded it.

Closing her eyes and lowering her head under the stream of water, she tried losing herself in the steady thrum of the water hitting the sides of the shower. Her eyes drifted open as another wave of heartbreak threatened to set in.

How was she expected to bear a child with Ichigo, the only person she had ever truly loved aside from Sora and Tatsuki, when it wasn't anything like how she had imagined it? There had been no wedding, no small house in the country with a white picket fence and flower garden. They were prisoners of a war no one had a hope of winning, forced into this by the very man who had begun their descent into Hell over a year ago.

Feeling her throat close up as she choked back another sob, she shook her head, trying to stop her thoughts from going down the path she knew they were headed. Once she had finished rinsing her hair and washing herself, she shut off the water and grabbed a towel before stepping out onto the cool tiles. Wrapping the towel snugly around herself, she approached the sink and wiped off some of the condensation with her hand. She stared at her reflection, but she couldn't remember if that was what she really looked like.

Her eyes were haunted, their gray depths no longer containing any of the warmth and joy she knew had once existed. Dark circles had formed under her eyes, displaying her lack of sleep to the world. She couldn't remember, but she thought her face, once rounded with her blossoming maturity, looked a bit sunken. It wasn't due to malnourishment – Aizen made sure that they were fed well and often – but likely because of her dwindling resolve to survive.

She continued to stare at herself in the mirror, wondering idly who the stranger in the mirror really was until the steam in the air had effectively covered the glossy surface once again. In a stupor, she dressed herself and brushed her hair. She reached for her hairpins out of habit, but stopped herself. What was the point in wearing them if she couldn't do anything? She couldn't fight. She couldn't help Ichigo with any of his missions. Hell, she wasn't even allowed outside of her confining bedroom unless Aizen summoned her.

Clutching the front of her dress, she gasped for air, suddenly feeling as if the walls were closing in around her. Swallowing thickly against her dry throat, she burst through the doorway into the spacious bedroom.

But even here, the walls were closing in on her.

Screwing her eyes shut, she clutched at her head, wishing helplessly for some sort of reprieve from what she was experiencing.

"Inoue-san."

Startled, Orihime glanced up at the sound of her name, her eyes wildly searching for the source of it. She soon set her sights on a young woman standing beside the door, her arrancar markings covering her upper torso and neck. Orihime straightened up, confusion overwhelming her. The arrancar had to be new; Orihime had never seen her before and it was unlike Aizen to send an unfamiliar servant to fetch her.

"Y-yes?" Her voice was raspy, likely due to not speaking in several days.

"Aizen-sama would like to see you," replied the arrancar politely, her expression blank.

Nodding, Orihime silently followed her. Her stomach sank with each step, her head swirling with possible scenarios as they approached those large, white doors she had come to loathe. The arrancar knocked lightly on the stone and they swung open. Orihime likened the doors to some sort of gate that opened to reveal a king's palace, but quickly shoved the thought out of her mind.

The pair quickly made their way across the room, halting about halfway between the doorway and Aizen's throne. Orihime vaguely noticed the arrancar drop into a deep bow, murmuring that they had completed his wishes by retrieving Orihime. Aizen waved them away without a second glance, his gaze boring into Orihime.

Once the doors had closed shut with a solemn thud, Aizen pushed himself up from his throne and approached Orihime, much like a hunter approaches their prey.

"I am glad to see that you're doing well, Orihime-chan." When Orihime said nothing, he continued. "I assume that Kurosaki has informed you of my desires."

Unable to find the courage to speak, Orihime merely nodded, dropping her gaze.

"However, it has been brought to my attention that the two of you have made no progress to fulfill my wishes," he drawled, his voice silky smooth despite the cold undertones. "No doubt due to Kurosaki's hesitance to consummate your relationship."

Orihime flinched at the venom in his voice as he commented on Ichigo's hesitance. Part of her screamed at her to defend Ichigo, but she merely kept her silence. She knew it wasn't worth arguing with Aizen.

Aizen languidly drew closer, letting his reiatsu wash over her as his eyes possessively roved down her curvaceous figure. "However, I believe that we can always find a remedy for his inability to commit to you."

Finally breaking her silence, Orihime whispered, "What are you talking about?"

Her eyes widened in horror as Aizen reached up to cup her chin, much like he had done over a year ago when she first arrived in Hueco Mundo, his thumb brushing against her lower lip. His eyes had narrowed, unadulterated lust glinting in their shallow depths.

"You could always bear _my_ child, Orihime-chan."

Orihime would have screamed if he hadn't pressed his lips to hers, claiming them in a kiss. She screwed her eyes shut, trying to push him away, but to no avail. His lips were cold and unyielding, exuding none of the warmth and passion that Ichigo's did. When he finally pulled away, Orihime felt bile rising in her throat as a sense of defilement settled itself over her like a smothering blanket.

Stumbling backwards, Orihime stared at him with a mixture of terror and horror, her arms curling around her midsection as a way of defense. Her thoughts were racing, each one less coherent than the previous one. When Aizen made no movement to recapture her in his grasp, she turned and bolted from the room, panic and fear fueling her adrenaline.

Aizen merely watched as she disappeared down the hallway, his lips curving upwards into a cold smirk. Considering the options he had given her, he was certain that Orihime would rather opt to bear Ichigo's child over his, a fact he was most pleased about.

* * *

Ichigo wearily dragged his feet towards the room he shared with Orihime, exhausted from the day's mission. Blood was splattered on his cheek, dirt and blood caked his uniform. When he was told to go investigate a nearby village suspected to have rebels being harbored, he wasn't expecting it to turn into a bloody battle for dominance. Trying to ignore the way his joints protested as he pushed the door open, he sighed heavily, hoping against hope that Orihime was no longer curled up in bed staring blankly at the wall.

However, he quickly wished that she had remained in bed.

His heart nearly stopped as a stream of light from the hallway stretched across the dark room, illuminating a small figured curled in on themselves in a corner. Dropping Zangetsu, Ichigo sprinted across the room, fear gnawing at his insides. Something must have happened to cause Orihime to withdraw this much. Kneeling beside her, he gingerly placed a hand on her trembling hand.

"Orihime?" he murmured softly, hoping not to scare her. His stomach plummeted when she raised her head to reveal tear-streaked cheeks and a terrified expression.

"I-Ichigo-kun," she hiccuped, another tear sliding down her cheek.

"What happened? Did someone hurt you?" His blood pounded in his ears as his anger rose at the thought of anyone laying a hand on Orihime.

"No... No, I'm fine," she murmured, wiping a tear away. "It's just...Aizen said something and-"

"What did that bastard say?" barked Ichigo, his anger coming through in his voice.

Orihime flinched at the anger in Ichigo's voice and shakily pushed her hair behind her ear. "H-he said that if you and I don't..._you know_, then he'll make me h-have a baby with him instead." Feeling ashamed, she dropped her gaze and covered her face with her hands.

The color drained from Ichigo's face as her words sunk in. Was Aizen really that desperate for a child? No. That couldn't be it. It was most likely one of his sneaky plans to get them to have a child so as not to put Orihime in such a predicament. Frowning, Ichigo wordlessly pulled Orihime into his arms, ignoring her squeak of protest.

Gripping the back of her clothes tightly, Ichigo tried to steel himself for what he was about to say.

"Orihime, let's...let's have a baby."


	8. Chapter 8

_Hey everyone! Star here with the next chapter! **Big warning though**: The rating is now up to M due to this chapter and more chapters to come! This chapter has **lemon **in it, so if you're squeamish, don't read!

* * *

_

For what seemed to be the thousandth time during the past week, Orihime couldn't help but twist the fabric of her dress into nervous knots. She had a lot to think about, to soak in mentally, but every time her mind wandered to that single thing they had to do for their freedom, her face would burn hotly and she swore she felt the weight of the world fall on her shoulders at least twice over.

It was hard to be around at Ichigo, at times. She loved him dearly, even during their stay here in Hueco Mundo, but she hated to admit how terrified she was.

Scared to raise a child, scared about what their future would be like if they did or didn't follow Aizen's orders. In the back of her mind, the healer could already tell it would result in death with the latter. She and Ichigo were Aizen's pawns, which meant they were disposable as such.

Pulling her knees up close to her chest, Orihime let her head fall back against the wall she sat against. A small _thud_ was heard upon the slight impact, but she ignored the tiny ache accompanied with it. The small pain was nowhere near as much as the pain in her heart.

"Orihime?" Ichigo called out, coming out of the bathroom. His battle-worn face wore a tired, but worried expression. "What are you doing on the floor again? You could get sick or something," he mumbled to her, bending down to take her hands in his and help her up.

Orihime wordlessly went with it and was helped up, but on the inside she knew she didn't care so much about getting sick from being on the floor. They had other things to think about. "I'm sorry, Ichigo-kun..." Her voice was quiet and slightly raspy as she spoke. "I've just... My thoughts are all..." As much as she wanted to finish her sentence, she just couldn't find good words for it.

Ichigo managed to bring his lips into a small, pained smile as he settled her down on the edge of her bed. It was a much more appropriate sitting spot than the floor. "I get it," he told her, sitting down next to her small form and still holding onto her hands. "This is all such bullshit, and you know I wouldn't want to force this on you." He paused and looked at their intertwined fingers. "Or any child of ours to be subjected to anything Aizen wants."

Orihime pulled her lip between her teeth, biting at it nervously. Just the thought of caring for a small, innocent life made her stomach twist uncomfortably. The pressure of handling something so delicate in such a place at their age made her sick to her stomach. They just weren't ready, plain and simple.

Leaning into Ichigo and resting her head on his shoulder, she blinked rapidly as to dissipate the building tears. "I'm scared..." She whispered, admitting what was the most obvious, but at the same time, most secretive feeling of hers. Ichigo released a hand and moved it to rest on her head, trying to comfort her by stroking her auburn hair. "I'm afraid of what will happen to us at the end of all this and I'm worried about bringing a baby into this horrible place."

Ichigo silently agreed as he held her closer, closing his eyes in his own dulled agony. "You're...You're not scared of me, are you?" He felt he had to ask, despite her utter faithfulness throughout this whole ordeal. He could feel her stiffen in his embrace, as well as a soft sniff.

"N-No, never..." She mumbled out, raising her free hand to wipe at her eyes. "I would never be afraid of you."

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he smiled faintly as he tried to crack some humor. "Good... I don't know what I'd do if I freaked you out too much." Orihime stayed silent again, although she hummed quietly in acknowledgement.

The two teens stayed in an embrace, just holding each other and keeping one another company, while lost in their thoughts. Ichigo would regret breaking that semi-comfortable silence with what he was about to say.

"You know we'll need to do it soon... Right?" He held onto her tight, knowing she may freeze up in fear or the like. "... The longer we wait, the more likely we are to be forced into something worse..."

Ichigo hated pulling a double-standard. He didn't want to force her, by any means, but it was true that things could get exponentially worse if they waited longer. Aizen was not a patient man, and Orihime was already called down by Aizen about it, and even worse, was given the option to bear a child with the devil himself.

"... I know..." Orihime murmured back, curling herself further into Ichigo's arms, wrapping her arms around his midsection for comfort and closeness. Ichigo watched her retreat to him, his brown eyes pained at her despair. He was such a terrible friend, and at this point lover, for making her so sad.

Cupping a hand on her cheek, Ichigo's actions had her look up at him, her big gray eyes full of unshed tears.

_How am I so unable to protect her?_ He wondered to himself before lowering his lips to hers, giving her a tender kiss. The bittersweet emotions between the two could be felt through the slow kiss, and Ichigo loved and hated every moment of it. He had grown to care for her exponentially, but these sorts of things are known to be happy, enjoyable, and full of love. Their surroundings and situation were far from it.

Shifting his hand from her face into her thick, auburn tresses, Ichigo pressed a slightly harder kiss to her pliable lips. Orihime sighed lightly and timidly pressed herself closer, shifting her hands to rest on his front side. "I-Ichigo-kun..." She whispered against his lips, feeling him angle his head to add more depth to the kiss.

Tracing her lips, Ichigo silently requested permission to enter, and Orihime timorously allowed him to slip his tongue into her moist cavern. Ichigo groaned at the feeling of their mouths clashing, and his hands slid tentatively down to her hips, pulling her closer. She shivered at the contact and squirmed a bit in his grasp. She was unsure how to continue, if at all.

Just rolling with it, Ichigo pulled his lips away and instead kissed her on the cheek, the chin, making a trail of butterfly kisses all the way down her neck. Orihime's breath caught in her throat as she gripped the fabric of his top, and closed her eyes tight. She bit her bottom lip hard, trying not to cry.

"I-Ichigo-kun," the healer managed to mumble out quite firmly. Ichigo stopped and backed away, his expression that mixed of confusion and a kicked puppy. "U-Um, please... Not now," her voice was quiet as she looked at him intently, her brows falling. Ichigo didn't look too happy, but he wasn't mad either.

"Right... Sorry." He felt terrible for trying to go further with her, especially with her heartbroken state. But his insides coiled in terror at the thought of Aizen forcing himself on Orihime, because both of them were so unsure and so new to all of this intimacy.

Orihime shook her head shakily. "Don't be... I-I promise I'll be ready soon." Her voice was quiet and timid, but Ichigo could hear the truth in her words. He could only nod in response, before pressing a light kiss to her forehead and squeezing her tight.

* * *

Orihime found herself unable to sleep that night, but instead, wide awake with her thoughts still running a mile a minute. It was obvious to say they had been under great stress since the moment they arrived here, but the news from a week ago was unable to sink in completely, leaving her stressed beyond belief. It wasn't that she didn't understand the concept of having a child, but she just wasn't ready. It wasn't supposed to be like this at all.

Flipping onto her side, Orihime now faced Ichigo, whom was sleeping on his side as well. The only difference was that he was sound asleep, while Orihime was more awake than she'd ever been in her life.

Even in his sleep, he still looked so tired, she mentally noted. What if she had never gone to Hueco Mundo in the first place? Would he have suffered as much as he did if she refused to leave with the arrancar, which lead to Ichigo coming after her? They more than likely wouldn't be together like this, she knew, if she hadn't. That was something she was unsure if she was happy about or not.

Ichigo stirred slightly, shifting and groaning as he promptly shoved a hand under his pillow. He scrunched his eyes tight before cracking them open slightly, looking groggy and confused. "... Orihime?" Orihime tried to smile for him, faintly, but she knew it wasn't up to her normal vigor. Ichigo rubbed at his eyes, his voice cracking as he spoke. "What's wrong?"

Her cheek pressed hard against the pillow, and Orihime merely watched the sleepy boy in front of her. "Nothing, Ichigo-kun... I'm just thinking, is all." For some reason, she felt like she was drawn to Ichigo more than she ever had before, even in his half-asleep state.

"Can't you sleep?" He asked, lazily throwing his arm around her waist and pulling her close. Orihime hummed in the negative and willingly snuggled closer to the boy she loved.

Ichigo held her for a while, trying to stay awake for her sake, so she wouldn't be awake alone in the middle of the night. He recognized her alertness as she continually shifted in his arms, but he wasn't entirely able keep his eyes open, and he started to drift off again.

"Ichigo-kun?" Orihime whispered, her warm breath fanning over his chest, where her head lay. Her index finger carefully traced the contours and lines of his chest. "I... I..." She wanted to say it, but she still felt so nervous on the inside.

"You're...?" Ichigo drawled up, half-awake, but still half-curious.

"I'm ready," she quickly blurted out.

If there was something needed to wake Ichigo up in a pinch, those two words were the key to doing it.

Ichigo put some space between them, his eyes wide with his brows furrowed in serious concern. "Orihime..." He started slowly, his eyes full of mixed feelings as he tried to collect his thoughts. "Do you understand what you're saying?"

Nodding slowly, she clasped her hands together tight in nervousness. "I mean... I-I'd say I'm definitely not ready to have a baby or be a mom because I'm only a teenager, but..." Her big gray eyes met his and she swallowed hard before finishing. "I'm ready to go home from this terrible place, and if that means having a child, then... then I'd rather do it than not at all."

Ichigo's lips were set in a grim line, his heart pounding so loudly in his ears, he wasn't sure he'd be able to hear. "Orihime, if we..." He found himself tripping on his words, now that things had become so understanding and serious. "If we do have a kid, just know..." Ichigo took her small hands and held them in his, pressing a shaky kiss to their joined hands. "I _refuse_ to let you raise it alone." Orihime opened her mouth, to respond in confusion, but he cut her off to finish. "And I mean after we get out of here. I'm going to be with you and the baby, even if you don't want me around otherwise."

Orihime found tears clinging to her eyelashes, and she sniffled loudly at his words. He was always kind, she knew that, but to make a promise to be with her after all this, with her and their child, it meant so much to her.

"Come on, now..." He mumbled, his voice cracking a bit as he tried to lighten the atmosphere. "Don't cry..." Ichigo pulled her close and pressed light kisses to her now damp cheeks. "You know I'm a mess when you cry."

Orihime sniffled again and stopped herself from tearing up any further. Ichigo's expression had shifted into a weak smile instead of that tense scowl as he moved to kiss her on the lips. It was a sweet and tender, to be expected from him. Moving closer and making the healer roll onto her back, Ichigo kept his lips on hers as he tried to pour all his feelings into their exchange. He wanted her to know and to feel that he wasn't just doing this so they could leave. He cared for her, probably even loved her, and this was meant to be an act of one.

Pressing a deeper kiss to her lips, Ichigo's arms rested on the sides of her head. He tried to angle his head to kiss her deeper, harder, but at the same time, keep it somewhat placid. She was already so nervous, as was he, and he didn't want to scare either one of them with forcefulness.

Sighing lightly, Orihime's hands went to his already bare chest as she nervously traced old scars and wounds, her fingers careful and gentle with every stroke. Ichigo's breathing was becoming heavy under her timid touches, and his mind was going fuzzy with pleasure from her presence alone.

Orihime shifted underneath his body and opened her mouth slightly, silently allowing his tongue to enter into her mouth. Her back arched little as he kissed her so passionately, like he loved her with all the love it was possible to have. The healer's heart fluttered as she instead laced her arms around his midsection, resting on his back. Her nails dug slightly into his skin, but he paid no mind to it.

Pulling away, Ichigo gave them a little space as he stared at her hard, his brown eyes burning darkly. His tongue darted out to lick his lips, and Orihime shivered at that small little detail. He looked so serious, and it made something ache in her abdomen.

"Orihime... You trust me, right?" He asked, his voice quite quiet in the large room. Orihime just looked at him for a few minutes, her heart racing nervously, then nodded and blinked heavily.

"I-I trust you," her voice was just as quiet and innocent as she smiled faintly for him. "I love you, and I trust you..." Her words made his heart melt and he was kissing her again in seconds, while a hand found its way to her back. Ichigo carefully unzipped her dress, finding himself with a rapidly growing problem at the mere sight of her pale, soft skin in the bit of moonlight coming in through the window.

He left butterfly kisses down her neck as he carefully shrugged the straps off her shoulders. She looked so beautiful to him, as she lay below his larger body. Her arms slid out of the straps and she was soon left with her upper half exposed. Her dress pooled around her hips and Orihime fought the urge to cover herself with her arms. She was so embarrassed, but she kept trying to tell herself this was all part of the process. Ichigo knew what he was doing, or at least seemed to.

Suddenly, she felt very inexperienced, and this only fueled her insecurity. They were trying to have a child at the moment, but she still flushed hotly from the fact she had never been with someone like this before.

"You're... you're beautiful," Ichigo mumbled, pressing a kiss to her sternum. Orihime jolted at the touch, more or less jumpy because of all this new intimacy.

"I-I..." Orihime stuttered, her hands gripping the sheets beneath her as a way to keep her from not covering her chest. "T-Thank you...?" Ichigo couldn't help but crack a small smile at her innocence. He soon found his lips on hers again, and his hands roamed her waist, pulling her closer, their chests flush up against one another. A pleasured groan slipped through Ichigo's moving mouth, as he absolutely loved the feel of her soft skin on his.

His hand rose to her breast, casually brushing against the underside of it, when she gasped and fidgeted just a little under his larger form. Stopping, Ichigo looked at her intently. "S-Sorry, if that's too much, I won't-"

Orihime shook her head and she continued to fight the desire to cover herself. She had never been touched like that before, without some sort of fabric in between, and it somewhat startled her. "N-No, i-it's okay..." She whispered, her words coming fluidly out of her mouth. "I-I trust you, remember?"

Swallowing thickly, Ichigo's eyes travelled from hers down to her chest, where his hand lay aside just inches away from it. He raised it carefully, glancing at her one more time before palming her breast in his hand. The healer gasped again and instinctually arched her back. Biting at her lip, she fought back a moan at his cautious touch. Ichigo brought his lips to her neck, giving light pecks to her fair skin as he began to knead her breast.

In the far recesses of her mind, Orihime wondered what would be after this. She already felt such great pleasure from this alone, she almost feared she'd explode if she was pleasured any more. Mewling and squirming under his working hands, Orihime was very surprised when Ichigo fell to her other breast, his lips encasing her pert nipple.

She moaned loudly at his hot mouth on her in such fashion and a string of whimpers poured from her lips. She gripped his bright, orange hair in her tiny hands, almost as if it was an anchor of sorts. "I-Ichigo-kun..." His name escaped her lips as she closed her eyes tight, her senses feeling heightened under his magic hands.

Ichigo suckled on her breast while molding its twin. Hearing Orihime's cute cries was a plus for him, making it known what he was doing was right. He was going only on instinct, what felt right to him, so it wasn't like he had a plan of how to do what and when to do it.

Switching after a while, Ichigo felt his hakama growing tighter, and he knew he'd have to hurry this along before he was spent completely. While his cheeks were already flushed from their sensual actions, his burned brighter at the idea of going all the way with her. It was something he'd thought of before, he'd admit, but to actually do it, despite the circumstances, still thrilled him.

Ichigo pulled away from her chest, feeling Orihime's hands fall from his hair to rest on his tanned neck. As he glanced up at her, he saw such a passionate, burning, but still saw a feeling of ambivalence in her eyes. Ichigo's breath got caught in his throat at her beauty.

Giving her a small smile, nervous as well in its own way, Ichigo's hands were on her hips again as he pushed the dress over them and past her legs, to eventually let it fall onto the floor. Now she was left in nothing but her panties, and the way the moonlight hit her made Ichigo foggily wonder if she was some sort of goddess in disguise. It was a lame thought, he recognized, but she was just so fucking beautiful.

Ichigo's fingers gripped at the knot keeping his hakama up, and it was not he suddenly felt very nervous about taking it off. He was frustrated with himself and how he felt he was chickening out at a crucial moment. It was when Orihime's slender fingers rested on his that he took in her extremely flustered expression.

"W-We can do it together...?" She mumbled nervously, flecks of fear showing in her eyes. In her mind, she tried to tell herself that Ichigo was being so kind to her, the least she could do was try to help him. Her heart was racing in her chest, she was so sure it would leap right out of her.

Nodding silently, Ichigo glanced down at the knot and her hands on his to help peel it off. Together they undid his hakama, and it was soon kicked off, revealing him with his erect member. Orihime bit her lip to contain a gasp, her cheeks burning hotly with shame as she was unable to stop staring at it. It was definitely not like anything else she'd seen before.

"W-Well..." Ichigo grumbled, using a hand to hold her chin and bring her focus to his eyes, with his other one toying with the band of her underwear. She licked her lips anxiously as she stared Ichigo in the eyes. "We can still go back, you know..." His voice was dead serious, and it made Orihime's heart jump at his sternness. "You're absolutely sure about this?"

Orihime nodded, raising a shaky hand to push stray, sweaty bangs out of her face. "I-I'm sure..." Her voice was quiet, but her eyes were serious in the same respect. Ichigo inhaled deeply and carefully before diving in for another hard kiss, his hand pulling down her plain, white panties. Those were soon discarded on the floor with the rest of their clothing, with nothing but the covers on the bed enveloping them both. Ichigo, after moving from on top of her, nudged his way between her slender legs and prepared to enter his stiffened length when he gave Orihime one last glance.

Inwardly, he felt like a moment like this would be the most opportune time to tell her just how much he cared for her. However, the circumstances didn't seem right, and that she deserved to be told of such special feelings only when they weren't held captive.

Still, he kissed her deeply as he pushed himself into her entrance, swallowing any pained moans that escaped her. She choked and teared up at the sudden pain, but Ichigo continually whispered apologies into her ear. He stayed still for a few minutes, merely keeping himself buried within her, until the pain seemed to lessen and Orihime didn't hurt so much anymore.

It was then when Ichigo pulled himself out a little, and then forced himself back into her, starting to pump himself into her fragile, but supple body. Her previously pained cries were replaced with pleasured moans, her voice rising higher with each time he thrusted into her.

Ichigo, without any thought, grabbed her breast again and impulsively squeezed it in timing with his thrusts, making Orihime cry out his name. She kissed him with a passion as her hands and fingers tangled themselves into his bright orange hair. Orihime could feel something coming, that ache in her belly turning into fiery hot bliss.

"I-Ichigo-kun!" Orihime squeaked out, her chest rising as he pounded relentlessly into her. Her sultry voice shouting his name the way she did had Ichigo pumping into her faster, in short bursts until he spent himself into her curvaceous body. His body was so hot, pleasured, and pleasantly tensed one minute, with it being stiff the next, his senses being flooded with incredible scorching hot ecstasy.

Cracking open an eye as he finished inside of her, he watched her already beautiful figure come undone under his arms, and it made his heart flutter like mad to watch her in such an orgasmic state. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him as close as she could, kissing him like she never had before.

The two calmed down from their high eventually, holding and kissing each other until they both found themselves growing fatigued. In her half-asleep state, Orihime ran her hands through her lover's bright hair and cracked a small smile.

"I love you..." She whispered to him, her lips lazily responding to his. Ichigo paused and instead flipped them over so Orihime lay on his chest.

"... I know," he responded, holding her close and relishing in her presence. As a passing thought, he hoped Orihime would become pregnant after this. It wasn't that he thought the experience was amazing, but he figured the sooner she was pregnant, the sooner they could get out of here. But as Orihime shifted into a comfortable spot on his front side, he pushed the train of thought out of his head and instead focused on her and the now.

Meanwhile, a dark, sinister smile crept onto a man's face within the Las Noches walls. He knew what had just happened, and figured it was only a matter of time until he would get his child.

.

.

.


	9. Chapter 9

_Sorry for the wait, but I had to wait for my muse to come back to me. Thankfully, she came back relatively quickly and I was able to churn out this chapter in a couple of days! :D Still very much angsty with guest appearances from two supposedly dead Espada along with some comedic relief towards the end of this overall somewhat depressing chapter. Enjoy guys!_

* * *

Several weeks had passed since Orihime and Ichigo consummated their relationship in the hopes of getting pregnant and being released from Hueco Mundo. As Ichigo pulled on his boots, he glanced over his shoulder at Orihime, who was perched on the edge of the large bed they shared, her hand on her stomach. His eyes narrowed in concern as a distinctly nauseated look crossed her face and he pulled on his remaining shoe before briskly walking to her side.

Kneeling in front of her, he peered up at her through his bangs as he murmured, "Orihime, are you feeling alright?"

Blinking, Orihime turned her gaze to meet his and smiled softly. "Yes...of course, Ichigo-kun. I'm fine."

Pulling her hand into his, Ichigo squeezed it reassuringly, his lips curving up into a small smile of his own. While they hadn't had sex since that first time, he continued to replay those moments in his head. His cheeks flushed when he remembered how uninhibited Orihime had become and something stirred low in his belly at the thought. Pushing the naughty images milling around in his head away, he noticed that her cheeks were flushed slightly as well, likely due to thinking about the same thing as him.

Rising to his feet, he sat on the bed beside her, never letting go of her hand in the process. Orihime turned her gaze towards him, love and warmth shining in her eyes as they leaned in for a chaste kiss. Bringing his hand up to cup her cheek, he ran his tongue over her plump lower lip, silently asking for access. She complied, shyly brushing her tongue against his as she brought her hand up to rest against his chest. As their kiss deepened, Ichigo ran his hand up her narrow waist, brushing his thumb over the underside of her breast. Orihime gasped and pulled away, her cheeks flushing darkly as her breath came in shallow pants.

"I-Ichigo-kun," she stammered, finding it hard to find the words she wanted to get across. While she found being intimate with him to be exhilarating, she wasn't sure if she was ready to do it again. She had been sore for a day or two after their first excursion and now her stomach was doing flips for what seemed to be most of the day.

"Sorry," he muttered. Removing his hand from her side, he averted his gaze.

_'Of course she's not ready,'_ he thought angrily. _'I'm such an idiot. I shouldn't put her in that position.'_

Orihime glanced shyly at Ichigo through her lashes. She often thought about that fateful night and wondered what it would be like if they were to do it again, but she always grew embarrassed of her lewd thoughts and pushed them to the back of her mind. Steadying herself, she placed her hand gently on his and squeezed reassuringly, much like he had done minutes before. He brought his gaze up to meet hers and she smiled, although the corners of her mouth didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I shouldn't have done that..." muttered Ichigo, a tinge of bitterness in his voice.

"No, it's alright! I'm just..." Orihime paused to mull over her words for a moment. "I'm just not sure if I'm ready to...you know..."

Nodding in understanding, Ichigo leaned in to place another light kiss upon her brow, but froze when Orihime's eyes suddenly widened and she clamped a hand to her mouth. Without another word, she pulled her hand from his and dashed towards the bathroom, stumbling slightly in her hurry. Before Ichigo could wrap his mind around what had happened, the distinct sound of retching greeted his ears and his face paled. Without thinking, he made his way to the bathroom, tentatively pushing the door ajar and wondering if he really should be pestering her while she was sick.

His mouth fell into a deep frown upon seeing her kneeling on the floor, her hands clutching desperately at the sides of the porcelain toilet. Sweat matted her forehead as she swallowed thickly, her eyes hooded as she panted. Awkwardly, Ichigo made his way towards her, clearing his throat to inform her of his presence.

Orihime shakily turned to face him, her eyes wide with mortification at him seeing her in such a state. She averted her gaze, too embarrassed to hold his confused and worried one. Pushing her hair behind her ear, she swallowed past the lingering taste of bile and pulled down on the small lever of the porcelain basin.

"Orihime, are you okay?" asked Ichigo shakily as he sat beside her, running a hand through her hair.

Nodding, Orihime continued to stare at the wall, wondering what was going on with her. Was it something she ate? Or maybe she was coming down with something. There had to be a logical explanation for why she had gotten sick so suddenly.

After a moment of mulling over the reasons for her sudden nausea, her heart skipped a beat as her thoughts came to a screeching halt. Somewhere, deep in the recesses of her memory, she remembered that she had been informed of what happens when a woman is pregnant during her high school health class. Of course, the boys were separated from the girls due to the nature of the subject being discussed, but Orihime remembered distinctly becoming rather flustered as the teacher went over the symptoms of pregnancy and how a woman's body will change.

_'The most common symptom is morning sickness,' said the teacher dully. 'While it varies from person to person, it's typically induced by smells or even certain foods that you may have eaten normally before conceiving.'_

How long had she been nauseous? Thinking back, she realized her symptoms had begun about a week ago. She gasped in horror when she realized that she had missed her period by two full weeks. Glancing at Ichigo, she could tell he was concerned about her silence and even more so with her becoming sick.

"I-Ichigo-kun," she whispered hoarsely. "I..."

"What is it?" Grasping her hand in his, Ichigo waited with bated breath for what she was about to tell him. His stomach sank at the terrified look on her face and his heart seemed to stop beating all together as he waited for her to say something..._anything_.

"I...I think I'm pregnant."

* * *

"There's no way in hell I'm leaving her alone with you," growled Ichigo, his hands clenching into tight fists.

He glowered at Szayel as he protectively stood in front of Orihime, blocking her from the impatient Espada's view. Szayel sighed exasperatedly and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"While I'm sure you're worried about her, I assure you, she's in capable hands," said Szayel as calmly as he could. Ichigo was starting to really piss him off and he wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to deal with the shinigami brat before he wanted to destroy something. "It's not like I'll experiment on her or anything. Although she'd certainly make quite the test subject..."

Upon seeing the shinigami's expression darken, Szayel waved off his earlier comment before turning back towards the examination room. "Fine. You can come with her, but just be sure you stay out of my way."

Nodding, Ichigo glanced briefly at Orihime, who looked terrified and gave her a reassuring smile. While he was feeling nervous himself about the possibility that Orihime was already pregnant, he was also excited. Maybe they'd really get out of this hell hole!

As Orihime followed Ichigo into the room, she looked around nervously at the instruments lining the stark white tables. It hadn't been long after her realization that an arrancar had arrived at their room, informing them that she was to follow her to be examined. Orihime's brow furrowed slightly at the thought; how did they know that she might be pregnant? Not even an hour had gone by since she had developed her own suspicions before she was summoned before the Octavo Espada.

_'Maybe Aizen is watching us,'_ she thought frantically. She quickly shook her head, dispelling the thought. _'This isn't the time to wonder why things are happening the way they are. I just need to calm down and everything will be okay.'_

Finally, the small procession arrived a secluded corner of what Orihime assumed was the medical wing. Szayel gestured towards a small table lined with paper and Orihime hesitantly hopped up onto the cool surface, crinkling the paper in the process, as Szayel set about retrieving small bottles from cabinets lining the walls. Exhaling shakily, Orihime leaned back, letting her back rest against the gentle incline of the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ichigo perching on the small stool beside the table, a grim expression on his face as he monitored the Espada's movements.

Turning back to the teens, Szayel eyed Orihime thoughtfully before pulling over a small contraption and setting the bottle of what appeared to be gel down beside the monitor. "You'll need to lift your shirt up."

Obeying him, Orihime flushed brightly as she pulled the top of her outfit up, exposing her softly rounded belly. Looking over at Ichigo, she sought his reassurance as Szayel turned on the small monitor beside the table. Without warning, Szayel squeezed some of the gel on her stomach, causing a squeal of surprise to escape her.

"I-it's cold..." she mumbled. She dropped her gaze in embarrassment as the Espada looked at her as if she were the most interesting thing in the world. Trying to ignore the uneasiness she felt, she focused on the feel of Ichigo's hand as he squeezed hers gently and the sensation of some sort of probe running over her stomach.

A small noise of dissatisfaction from the Espada brought her attention back to him, her eyes wide and fearful as he stared disapprovingly at the monitor. Shaking his head, he removed the probe from her belly and turned off the monitor.

"Wh-what is it?" she whispered, her anxiety getting the better of her.

"You're not pregnant," said the Espada coolly. He glanced at her over the edge of his glasses, his eyes betraying his curiosity at her situation.

"What the hell do you mean she's not pregnant?" spat Ichigo, his brow furrowing in anger at the Espada.

"Exactly what I said. There is no embryo nor fetus inside her womb, so there's no possibility of conception."

"But...I've been sick," said Orihime shakily. "And I've gained some weight..."

"It's likely a hysterical pregnancy then," remarked the Espada. "I've not seen one before, but it can happen."

"So what you're telling us..." began Ichigo.

Sighing at their ignorance, the Espada snapped the latex gloves off of his hands. "She's so desperate to become pregnant that she's fooled her own body into believing she's pregnant." Shaking his head at their stunned silence, Szayel exited the room, muttering about how interesting humans could be.

Tears welled in Orihime's eyes as she turned to face Ichigo, her lower lip trembling. She had hoped that she would become pregnant on the first try, enabling them to escape this wretched place all the sooner. "I-Ichigo-kun..."

Rising to his feet, Ichigo pulled Orihime into a tight hug, soothing running his hand over her back. Orihime clutched at his shihakusho as silent tears streamed down her cheeks and it was all Ichigo could do to hold himself together. He had been hoping so fervently that she was pregnant and now her own body had betrayed her, instilling a hope in them that neither could afford to be dashed.

"Orihime, I..." Furrowing his brow, Ichigo searched for the right words for the situation, but couldn't find any.

Finally settling on something he had said numerous times, he whispered into her hair, "We'll figure this out. I promise."

* * *

Scowling as he surveyed the sandy village below them, Ichigo's hand itched to use Zangetsu on something...anything. In the weeks following the devastating news of Orihime's hysterical pregnancy, the closeness they had felt before that had become strained. They both knew that they would have to have sex again eventually if they ever hoped to get out of Las Noches, but no matter how gentle Ichigo tried to be with her, she always seemed distant.

It was like she was still beating herself up for something she had no control over.

Running a hand through his hair in agitation, Ichigo exhaled harshly. He had been surveying this small village for hours and he had never been so desperate for a surprise attack to be launched. He needed something – anything – to get his mind off of his current predicament. Although he hated to admit it, he was completely lost as to what he should do to cheer up Orihime before Aizen found out about what happened.

Scoffing at his own thoughts, he ruefully thought, _'Like that bastard doesn't already know.'_

"Somethin' on your mind?"

Breaking his vigilance for the first time in hours, Ichigo glanced up at the teasing remark. His scowl deepened as a pair of ice blue eyes met his, mirth dancing in their depths.

"Leave me alone Grimmjow," he muttered, turning his attention back to the village.

Irritated with the shinigami's lack of enthusiasm, Grimmjow growled. He was bored out of his mind and he might as well have some fun with the orange-haired punk. Maybe he'd even provoke Ichigo into fighting him to kill time.

"I hear you and the little human girl are having some trouble in the sack," he taunted, fangs glistening in the moonlight as he grinned.

Ichigo's eyebrow twitched in irritation at the Espada's words. "Mind your own fucking business."

"So it's true!" A sharp bark of laughter escaped Grimmjow, his grin widening as he noticed Ichigo's fists curl into fists. "If it were me, the chick would already be knocked up. But then again, I also know how to please a woman."

Ichigo's expression darkened as he tried to reign in his anger. There was no point in fighting the Espada again; he had already proven who was superior before his capture. But Grimmjow was making it incredibly hard to not sock him in the face.

"I bet her tits are incredible," purred Grimmjow. He couldn't deny that Orihime was quite the looker, if not a bit whiny for his tastes, and he sure as hell wouldn't pass up the chance to have a thorough roll in the sheets with her. Leering at the teen in front of him, he noticed Ichigo's reiatsu spiking, but continued anyway. "But probably not as incredible as that tight body of hers. I bet I'd have her screaming my name so loudly it echoed down the halls by the time I'm done with her."

Hearing Grimmjow talk about Orihime that way caused Ichigo's temper to snap and within seconds, his fist was slamming into Grimmjow's jaw. The Espada skid back a few feet at the force of the punch, but a grin was plastered on his face. Breathing heavily, Ichigo felt the corners of his eyes starting to become invaded with black as his hollow fought to take control.

"Don't fucking talk about Orihime like that!" he bellowed. Somewhere in his mind, he knew that Grimmjow was just provoking him, but he didn't care. He needed a way to release his anger and frustration and if the Espada was looking for a fight, he wasn't going to deny him one.

"Aw, what'sa matter? Is the little shinigami upset?" laughed Grimmjow, his tone mocking.

Growling, Ichigo's body trembled as he fought to keep his rage in check. "Don't you _ever_ talk about her like that again."

"And what are you gonna do about it?" A cocky grin spread across Grimmjow's face; he had Ichigo eating out the palm of his hand. If he had known that saying a few things about the human broad was all it took he would have done this ages ago.

"Wipe that God damned smirk off of your face," retorted Ichigo. "Or I'll do it for you."

Grinning, Grimmjow motioned for Ichigo to come closer. "Bring it on, shinigami."

Ichigo's lips turned into a smirk of his own as he launched himself at the waiting Espada.


	10. Chapter 10

_Harro, it's Star with another update. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

If it was one thing Orihime hated doing, it was being so purposely distant towards Ichigo.

Granted, it had been this way before, but it wasn't like it was pleasant every time it happened. Orihime knew it wasn't in her nature to be depressed either, but there were times that the stress and frustrations just completely crippled her.

The recent discovery of her hysterical pregnancy had left her completely mortified. At first when she thought she was sick, there was a very faint glimmer of hope they could get out of Las Noches, and soon. But her body played such a horrible trick on her and immediately crushed that anticipation.

_Or maybe I'm just wishing too hard..._ She thought as she laid flat on the bed, her cheek pressed against the soft pillow. Orihime had to bite her lip and close her eyes tight to keep from crying for what seemed to be the millionth time. A staggered sigh escaped her instead, and her mind drastically searched for some sort of inspiration she could latch onto temporarily.

The creaking of the door opening startled Orihime from her thoughts, and she turned her head towards the entrance to find her beloved walk through the door. No, scratch that, _stagger_.

Upon seeing his slight limp and black eye, along with a hand held to his nose, Orihime bolted from the bed and ran to the door faster than Ichigo had ever seen before. He would've been more amazed if he hadn't been holding his nose from bleeding harder than it already was.

"Ichigo-kun!" Orihime frantically called to him, soon by his side and using her hands to hold him up right. "What on earth happened to you?" He looked so worse for wear. Given, he'd been hurt worse before, but to see him bleeding was never a sight she wanted to see.

Ichigo had an arm wrapped around the healer's shoulders and he willingly let her lead him to the bed to sit down. He contemplated telling her he got into a scuffle with Grimmjow, to protect her honor. Just thinking about Grimmjow talk about Orihime in such a vile way had his anger bubble up all over again.

"It was stairs," he lied, deciding to omit how he got into a fight with the Sexta Espada because he was talking about Orihime and how he would've bed her. Not to mention he didn't want to say how Ulquiorra had stepped in to stop them both from killing each other. Ichigo knew if the Cuatro Espada hadn't stopped him, he would've surely tried his best to kill Grimmjow. "Don't worry about me," he finished solemnly.

Orihime sat him down on the bed and hadn't said a word as she shuffled her feet back into the bathroom and came back out soon thereafter with a handful of tissues. "You can use these to stop the bleeding, until you're all healed." Her voice was quiet as her timid hand handed him the flimsy cloths. Ichigo took them and put them to his nose. Orihime's words were no louder than a whisper when she spoke the incantation of _Soten Kisshun._

Her familiar yellow shield encased Ichigo the best it could, and a gentle warmth that he recognized as strictly Orihime's washed over his beaten body. Ichigo could feel the dull ache in his leg and eye start to recede, and he sighed quite heavily at the relief.

"Hime..." Ichigo called out to her, not allowing himself to get distracted from her healing due to the fact there was an elephant in the room that needed to be discussed. He decided this would be the best opportunity anyway, since she was unable to get away from him while she healed him. "About the pregnancy..."

Orihime visibly froze, her hands that weren't shaking before, trembling now. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and kept quiet. She still despised her betraying body, and having Ichigo bring it up made her feel bad all over again.

"You _know_ I don't want to rush you," he started out slowly. He pulled the tissues away from his nose upon finding the bleeding for that had stopped too. "But I've been thinking that we should probably try again..."

The healer clenched her hands into fists and found herself unable to look at the only man she loved. She wasn't just upset with her body; it went so much farther than that.

"You're not wanting to stay here, are you?" he asked, trying to at least get a yes or no out of her.

Orihime shook her head in the negative and uttered a quiet "No... I want to go home." Ichigo noticed her facial expression was twisted into something upset, and he took note to word himself carefully from now on.

"Then why are you distant, Hime?" he asked warily. Orihime's shield had disappeared and she retreated herself by holding her arms and turning slightly away from him. Ichigo reached out to tentatively touch her shoulder, and when he saw she made no move to encourage nor deny his touch, he pulled her into a hug. Her hands shakily laced around his midsection, and her dainty fingers gripped onto his shihakusho.

"Aren't you mad...?" she barely muttered out, finally saying what she'd bottled up for the longest time.

"Why would I be mad?" he replied in question, his cheek resting on her auburn head.

"Because I gave us false hope..." she murmured into his chest, tears stinging at her eyes. "I gave _you_ false hope. I've wanted us to leave for so long, but... O-Oh, Ichigo-kun, I'm so sorry..."

It was like a dam burst and Orihime started crying all over again. Ichigo could only hold her tighter, knowing all too well there was little he could do to reassure her when she was this stressed and exhausted.

"We almost got out of here!" she cried, holding onto Ichigo as tight as she could. "Our chance was _right_ there, but I took it away! My body and mind betrayed me, and I've betrayed you-"

Ichigo cut her off abruptly as he pulled her out of their embrace, and instead forced his lips onto hers. Orihime jumped in surprised, and was torn. Her body responded to him and kissed him back, moving her lips against his just as fervently, but her mind was still telling herself she had no right to kiss him when she pretty much denied him of his freedom.

Slipping his tongue into her mouth, Ichigo's hands on her shoulders, pulled her body closer to his. His blood was hot in his body, and it wasn't just because he was kissing Orihime so passionately. He was getting frustrated with how Orihime could think of herself as a betraying him in any way, shape, or form. Such a kind, gentle woman as herself would never be able to do anything like that, intentionally or unintentionally.

Orihime moaned softly as his hands fell from her shoulders to hold onto her slender waist instead, and she sneaked her hands around his neck and her fingers dug into his bright colored hair.

Ichigo pulled himself from her delectable mouth with much reluctance. Orihime was breathing a little harder than she was before, and her cheeks were dusted with a shade of red. Her previously closed eyes opened up cautiously, and she looked Ichigo straight in the eyes, awaiting for him to say something.

"Orihime..." Her name rolling off his tongue the way it did sent shivers down her spine, and she darted her tongue to lick her lips in nervousness. "You didn't betray me at all, okay?" Ichigo could still see hesitancy in her eyes, and he continued on. "Couples don't always get pregnant on the first try. They just try and try again until they do."

The already settling blush on Orihime's face grew a little hotter at the mention of trying again. She knew it was ultimately for a baby, but the beginning of how to get there was still a little embarrassing for her.

"S-So..." Orihime stuttered a little, finding her hands lying on his chest suddenly very interesting. "You think we should try again...?"

Ichigo cleared his throat and turned his own shade of pink before nodding and pulling her a little closer. "Yeah..." He was embarrassed with the notion as well, but his body grew a little heated with excitement. "But for more reasons than that one..." he finished, all rushed out in a nervous string of words.

Looking up shyly at him, Orihime felt warmth pooling in her abdomen at his words. He was being so vague with what he meant, but she couldn't help but grow intrigued by it. Ichigo smirked a little for her, before diving in for another onslaught of kisses. He made them fall backwards onto the bed, and he took his healer down with him.

He pressed butterfly kisses to her neck, and with his hands already on her waist, his fingers twitched and shifted to tease her skin. Orihime started to giggle at his notion of tickling her, and Ichigo immediately smiled bigger upon hearing her laugh. He hadn't heard it for so long.

With their relationship fixed for the moment, and Orihime currently at a point where she was _laughing_ of all things, Ichigo couldn't help but think things would be looking up for a while.

* * *

"You called, Aizen-sama?"

"Tch... This better be good..."

Aizen looked down to his minions from his high chair, a faint, cold smirk playing upon his lips. He paid no mind to Grimmjow's lack of respect.

"I assure you, this is plenty "good"," he started, leaning his head into the palm of his hand. "You two are aware of the prisoners' inability to conceive a child, are you not?" he inquired. Grimmjow flinched slightly at the statement, and a fire started to burn in his eyes.

"Yes, Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra spoke out, very much aware of the situation. Aizen looked pleased to know his Cuatro Espada had known, but he looked to Grimmjow for further answer.

"And you, Grimmjow?" he asked, sending a little of his reiatsu out to pressure the Espada. Grimmjow clenched his teeth and fists, and glared up at the ruler.

"Yeah, I'm aware," he scoffed, grinding his teeth together. "Probably more 'aware' than Emospada here."

"Would that have anything to do with your current state?" Aizen inquired bemusedly, referring to his beaten up face and still bloodied knuckles. "Rumor has it you and the shinigami got into a fight about the girl."

Grimmjow clenched his hands together until they were white, and his eyes darted over to Ulquiorra, whom hadn't made any move or reaction otherwise. "Yeah, I was. Trying to tell him how to knock the bitch up like a real man. What of it?"

"Now Grimmjow, Ichigo cannot have his sexual intercourse with Orihime if he's dead," he continued on, putting out a little more of his reiatsu to send Grimmjow to his knees, very reluctantly. "Be sure not to get into any more battles with either of them."

The Sexta Espada was kept silent, for reasoning of not wanting to get punished for anything else. He didn't fear the bastard that was Sosuke Aizen, but Grimmjow knew his boundaries. Aizen was far too strong for him, and he knew it.

"But that isn't why I called both of you here today," Aizen stood up as he talked, and walked down the flight of large white stairs, to meet up with his subordinates. "I have something of a mission for you."

"Anything, Aizen-sama," Ulquiorra added in, in his usual monotone voice.

"I want you to keep an eye on those two, and make sure they're not purposely avoiding having sexual encounters with each other. I want the product of their powers together, but that won't happen if they if they're merely sitting around," the ruler explained, somewhat of a dark smirk playing on his face.

Grunting in response, Grimmjow sat up a little. "The fuck... You want us to be peeping toms? To sit there and watch as he pounds her into the mattress?"

Aizen's smirk faded a little and he looked a little displeased. "No, not like that. Just check in every once in a while and question them, or inspect Orihime's body figure. If her abdomen happens to look a little larger, she may be pregnant."

"Tch, or her tits... I hear those get bigger when you're knocked up-"

"Will that be all, Aizen-sama?" Ulquiorra cut in, halting Grimmjow's crude language and ideas. Aizen nodded and with the wave of his hand, he released them out, just as soon as he let them in.

* * *

Orihime looked down to Ichigo with loving, but nervous eyes. Last time, it had been her on the bottom, and Ichigo had gotten to see her, but this time, Orihime sat upon Ichigo, and she was taking in every square inch of the man she loved in the moonlight. The lighting made his usually vibrant orange haired had dulled it to a burnt orange, and his bare chest was presented to her as if it was a gift for her to enjoy.

Her small, dainty hands explored his exposed abdomen, and the healer felt his muscles quiver underneath her faint touch. Ichigo's breath came out in slow, heavy pants, and it took all he had to not grab onto her hips and grind himself into this woman.

Orihime carefully leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, causing him to groan, and Ichigo's hands went to her back, searching for the zipper on the back of her garment. It was like music to his ears, hearing the _zip_ of her dress come undone, and Ichigo pushed the straps off her shoulders as he lazily kissed the lips of his healer.

Shimmying her arms out of the straps, she let her dress pool around her waist, and a small shiver coursed through her body at the suddenly chilly air. Orihime didn't focus on the chill all that much, since Ichigo reignited her fiery passion again by clamping his lips around the nipple of one of her breasts. Moaning out loud, Orihime whimpered his name as he licked and suckled on her breast, while molding and kneading the other.

Experimentally pressing his hips to meet hers, Ichigo grinded against her soft, supple body while ravaging her chest. Orihime's voice raised in octaves, and her breathing became more and more labored the longer he lavished such attention onto her.

"I-Ichigo..." she cried, her blunt fingernails running over his chest. "Oh, Ichigo..."

Neither of them were aware of the creaking of the door opening, and mindlessly continued on their exploration of each other. One of Ichigo's hands had dropped to her hips, and was playing with the band of her panties when a whistle resounded through the room. Their attention was snapped to the now open doorway, and standing there was Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. The latter looked unimpressed, but the former looked incredibly amused.

"Damn, Kurosaki! So you really can get it up for her!" Grimmjow sneered, teasing the shinigami. "Looks like we came at a bad time. We hope we didn't 'ruin the mood'." His tone was mocking, and any pleasure and lust he felt for Orihime was immediately doused and he was running on pure anger instead.

Ichigo tossed Orihime off him, carefully as to not hurt her, of course, and threw the blankets over her half-naked form before lunging towards the open door. It was then when Ulquiorra left wordlessly, and Grimmjow ran off cackling to himself.

"Get out of here, you assholes!"

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	11. Chapter 11

_Nagi here with the next chapter! Sorry it's such a short chapter, but I'm hoping the fact that it's nothing but a giant smut scene will make up for that, lol. Enjoy!_

* * *

Scowling, Ichigo stomped through the stark white hallways of Las Noches, his hand shaking as he tried to reign in his temper. For the last three days he'd had to put up with Grimmjow's snide comments and jeering laughter as the Sexta Espada continued to prod his wounded ego. If it hadn't been bad enough for Grimmjow and Ulquiorra to interrupt him and Orihime when they were "'bout to get it on" as Grimmjow put it, but now half of the Arrancar knew about it! As he passed an Arrancar, he glowered at them as they stifled their laughter and hurried past him. Clenching his fists, he swore that if it was the last thing he'd do, he'd rip that smug smirk off of Grimmjow's face before beating the bastard into the ground.

While he was furious about the Espada's antics, he was worried about how Orihime was dealing with the embarrassment. She hadn't left their room since her last audience with Aizen - mainly because Aizen had all of her meals brought to their room and she had no real reason to interact with their captors - but he still hoped that she hadn't gotten wind of the rumors spreading like wildfire through Las Noches. She already had enough stress to deal with without having to endure snide comments and questions as she made her way through the halls.

Running a hand through his hair in irritation, Ichigo paused in front of his room, his brows furrowing. If Orihime had heard any of the rumors, she wasn't letting on that she had. She had been blushing a bit more than usual whenever their gazes locked, but other than that she seemed to be in a happier mood the last few days. Sighing in defeat, he tried to push his worrisome thoughts to the back of his mind and opened the door to their room.

Stepping into the sparsely furnished room, he shut the door behind him with a soft click and set Zangetsu beside the doorway. Slipping his shoes off, he glanced around the softly lit room, his brows furrowing slightly when he didn't see Orihime right away.

_'Did Aizen call her for another audience?'_ he wondered, worry tinting his thoughts.

Loosening his collar, he noticed light peeking out through the small gap between the door and floor of the adjoining bathroom. Smiling wryly at how much of a worrywart he'd become over the last few weeks, he sat on the end of the bed. Flopping onto his back, he closed his eyes and mentally went over the events of the last few weeks. He couldn't deny the sexual attraction he felt towards Orihime as much as it surprised him. A year ago he wouldn't have thought that not only would he have fallen for her as hard as he did but that they'd be intimate as well. His cheeks flushed a bit as he thought about what had happened a few days earlier.

Ever since then, he'd been fighting to keep himself in check around her. While he wanted to do nothing but pull her against him and make her scream his name, he kept reminding himself that Orihime was the one to set the pace, not him. Swallowing thickly at the thought of her wantonly thrashing underneath him, he placed his hand over his eyes. Since when did he become such a pervert?

However, his mind seemed to have a different idea. It continued to replay both his fantasies and what experiences they had already had, nearly driving him mad in the process. He groaned as his pants became more restricted and sat up, glancing warily at the bathroom door. The sound of water greeted his ears as Orihime turned on the shower and a thought crossed his mind. Shaking his head, he dispelled the thought as soon as it occurred to him. He didn't want Orihime thinking he was a pervert!

Even as he struggled with his thoughts, his blatant arousal made it clear where his thoughts were quickly heading. With one last internal quip from his conscience about how he was crazy, he rose to his feet. Disrobing as he slowly made his way across the large room, his hand shook slightly as he reached out to grab the handle. His brows furrowed and he hesitated; would this be too much for Orihime? Was it too soon? A small part of him reminded him how eager she had been a few days ago and with that, he steeled his resolve and turned the handle. Stepping into the steam-filled room, he felt his cheeks flush when he saw the contours of her body through the shower curtain. Licking his suddenly dry lips, he shut the door noiselessly and padded towards the shower. As he pulled the shower curtain aside to reveal it's occupant, her startled gasp greeted him, her eyes widening as she hurriedly covered her breasts with her hands.

"I-I-Ichigo-kun!" she stammered, clearly caught off guard by his arrival. Her cheeks flushed deeply as his gaze roved over her figure and she suddenly felt as if she were the prey of some sort of predator. "What are you..." She swallowed thickly before trying again, "What are you doing in here?"

Without a word, Ichigo stepped into the shower, feeling the steady stream of water hit his taught muscles. Orihime's mouth parted in what was sure to be a protest as she backed away from him, her back hitting the cool tiled wall, causing her to gasp. Ichigo crashed his mouth on hers, swallowing her surprised cries, his hands sliding over her slick skin. He could feel her tensing slightly at his bold moves, but she quickly melted against him, returning his kiss in earnest and tangling her fingers in his hair. The kiss soon became desperate and hungry as Ichigo's tongue swept past her lips, eliciting a shiver to race down her spine. His hands had paused on her hips, but he now ran them up her curves to cup her heaving breasts.

She mewled softly into his mouth as he began to mold and massage them, his thumb brushing against her hardening nipples. Nibbling on his lower lip, she trailed kisses down his neck, sighing softly when he rolled his palms against the aching peaks. Her fingers traced the contours of his arms, memorizing the hard muscles beneath his tanned skin. She gasped when he rolled her hardened nipples between his fingers and her back arched, pushing her breasts even further into his palms. She moaned his name when he bent down to latch his lips onto her breast, laving the aching spot with his tongue while continuing to knead the other. Dragging in shallow breaths, she threaded her fingers through his hair again, holding him close as his ministrations drove her higher.

Giving her nipple one last lick before switching to her other breast, Ichigo ran his free hand down her flat stomach, pausing as his fingertips brushed against her navel. She shivered in his arms and pulled him closer, her breath brushing over his ear. Letting his instinct guide him, he let his fingers slip lower and into her curls before running his fingertip along her slit. With a surprised gasp, she tensed before relaxing into his touch, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Abandoning her breasts, Ichigo trailed hot kisses up her neck, pausing to nibble on her earlobe before claiming her lips again. All the while, his finger teased her entrance, his knee nudging her legs further apart before plunging the digit into her slick heat.

He swallowed her moans as he slowly moved his finger in and out of her entrance, increasing the pace when her hips bucked against his hand. Orihime wrapped her arms around his shoulders for support as she rose onto her tip-toes, hoping to get better leverage. She vaguely felt heat rise in her cheeks, but she was so focused on getting that tightly wound coil in her abdomen to burst, she let moans spill from her lips unchecked. This only served to encourage Ichigo, who added another digit, thrusting into her core with abandon. She keened as her world shattered, throwing her into a free-fall of ecstasy. Her legs buckled and Ichigo wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her from falling, his fingers slowing, but not stopping as he eased her down from her high.

Panting, she opened her eyes to gaze at him blearily, a mixture of the pleasure she was experiencing and the steam making his features somewhat hazy. As the aftershocks of her orgasm coursed through her, she could feel her stomach curl deliciously as desire coiled within her again. Ichigo groaned against her neck as he slipped his fingers from her core. Blood pounded in his ears and he rested his forehead against Orihime's as he gripped her hips tightly. She mewled longingly at the lose of his touch, her gray eyes, hooded with desire, meeting his.

Ichigo opened his mouth to ask if she was ready, but the look in her eyes said it all. Closing his mouth, he claimed her lips in another fiery kiss as he pressed her back against the tiled wall. Hoisting her leg up, he hooked it over his hip and angled himself, the tip of his erection brushing against the sensitive lips of her sex. She shivered, but didn't make any movement to push him away; instead, she deepened the kiss before he pulled away. With another groan, he plunged into her silky heat, a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding hissing through clenched teeth.

Holding her still, he slowly rocked against her, setting a slow but steady pace. Orihime's hips undulated against his, her nails digging into his back as she searched for purchase on the slick shower wall. She was exhilarated with how full she felt with Ichigo inside of her, but somehow...somehow she wasn't able to get any nearer to that blessed drop with the slow pace he had set.

Trailing her lips up his neck, intermittently pausing to nip lightly at the skin, she nibbled on his earlobe before whispering, "Faster."

Ichigo felt as if that single plea had knocked the wind out of him; her tone was breathless and wanton as she pleaded for him to increase the pace. Not wanting to disappoint her, he tightened his grip on her waist and thrust into her willing core with abandon. Orihime moaned loudly, her hips trying to desperately keep up with his frantic pace as she begged him not to stop. As she clung on for dear life, she cried out as she overtaken by ecstasy once again. The feel of her inner walls clenching around his length had Ichigo joining her as he thrust jerkily into her one last time, his seed spilling inside of her.

The pair slumped against the wall, Ichigo still filling Orihime as they fought to catch their breath after coming down from their high. Releasing her thigh, Ichigo cupped her face and kissed her gently. She smiled up at him as he brushed her wet bangs out of her face, feeling content for the first time in weeks. As he withdrew, she felt an odd pang of emptiness, but dispelled the thought as he drew her into his arms.

"I love you, Ichigo-kun," she whispered.

"I..." Swallowing thickly, he tangled his fingers in her hair. "I know."


	12. Chapter 12

_This is Star with the next chapter! It's sort of a buffer/filler chapter, just so what we have planned for upcoming chapters isn't so rushed. XD Enjoy anyway!_

* * *

The time following their little romp in the shower, Orihime had many mixed feelings. Initially, she felt mortification and embarrassment over what they had done, but soon followed was hot cheeks and a wonder of when they would do it again, if he was to be so bold again.

Like many times before, she shook her head as if to send those naughty thoughts of hers straight out her ears. Those were dangerous things to be considering! Plus, if Ichigo could read her mind right now, he might think she was such a lustful, slovenly girl. Although, considering _his_ walking in on her prior and their actions that followed, maybe he might accept it instead...

Finding herself thinking of embarrassing things again, she squished her face against the cool pillow on the bed she laid upon, hoping the fabric would hide and help her ever growing blush. Partially, she was glad Ichigo was sent on another mission, which seemed to be for the umpteenth time this week, only because she didn't have to worry about turning beet red in front of him.

Sighing lightly, she had to admit to herself that with every touch, kiss, or caress they gave one another during their more intimate moments, she was falling more in love with the man she already gave her promise of five lifetimes to. He had this way about him that made her mind grow fuzzy and want to do nothing but snuggle up to him and never leave his side.

Growing somewhat restless, Orihime tossed herself from her back onto her front instead, blinking heavily as her mind continued to wander, mainly about Ichigo. Now that she had gotten herself to think about him so much, she started to wish he was here instead. Maybe he would've let her cuddle with him, to just bask in one another's presence. But then again, she started to wonder if he was partially here, in a far-fetched sense.

Glancing down at her belly, she wondered if there was a baby growing in her this time. Orihime tried to not let herself get too excited over the notion, but her heart would always start to race at the thought. Aside from the idea of a little human inside her, she had always wondered if she would be a good mother. She was only a teenager now, and even though they were to ultimately give up the baby to Aizen, she was scared as to what it would be like carrying a child for nine months.

Orihime placed her hand on her currently flat tummy, only feeling the rise and fall of her body breathing and shifting on its own. For some reason, she had a gut feeling that she wasn't pregnant this time, even if she wanted to be. If she didn't end up being pregnant, she would have to have sex again with Ichigo, and the idea both gave her a fit of embarrassment, but intrigue. Last time had been in the shower, what would the next time bring?

Shivering in some excitement, a small, dreamy smile made itself known on her face, with her cheeks burning with a dull heat. "Ichigo-kun..." she mumbled the absent shinigami's name, her hand absentmindedly a light stroke over her stomach. Perhaps it was wrong to think of him in such a bad way while he was gone, but it was a reactive thing to act like this while thinking about him so fervently.

She unintentionally, brushed the underside of her breast while daydreaming about Ichigo and running her hand over her stomach. A small gasp escaped her, but it melted into a whimper of sorts as she imagined it being Ichigo's hand instead, and him whispered a quick apology about how he hadn't meant to startle her like he did.

With the door slamming open, Orihime jumped up from her lying position to see Ichigo stagger in through the door. The blush that had been present while her pretending had grown exponentially as he set Zangetsu down by the door and kicked off his boots next to them. He seemed to take deliberately slow steps towards the bed, his eyes darkened as his hands reached for the front of his shihakusho. He then took off his top, the sleeves falling off his shoulders and arms, leaving Orihime a little bothered. This all seemed like some sort of daydream as he gave her what felt like the most racy show she'd ever seen.

"I-Ichigo-kun... You're back early," she breathed while licking her lips. Her eyes unintentionally roved over his tanned skin and taut muscles, amused as he dropped his shihakusho next to the bed and climbed onto it to join her.

"The mission hadn't taken that long," he told her, lying down on the bed with his hands folded behind his head. The new position gave her a sudden rush of heat through her body and her gaze once again glanced over his sculpted abdomen and, dare she say delicious figure?

"Ah, well... It is getting a little late anyway, so it's good you came back when you did," she replied, her voice growing quiet. He just smirked at her with that boyish grin of his, sending a rush of heat to pool in her abdomen. Lying down somewhat hesitantly next to him, her eyes never left his, and her blush didn't seem to dissipate either.

"You're saying you missed me, Hime?" he asked, his tone on the edge of teasing. Orihime nodded stiffly as her cheeks continually grew hotter. He flipped onto his side to face her, and the look in his eyes had her feeling more embarrassed by the minute.

"Of course... You're the only one I can count on, you know..." she murmured, her heartbeat picking up in speed as he lazily dragged his fingers across her curves. He merely smiled at her, his eyes darkening further as she shuddered underneath his touch. "I-Ichigo-kun..." Orihime mumbled his name, and that was all it took for him to lean over and press a kiss to her plump lips. Sighing with bliss, she melted in his embrace and wrapped her arms around his midsection, her blunt nails faintly running over his back. His breathing grew heavier upon her lightest touch, and she smiled against his lips. It was kind of interesting to know just exactly how she affected him.

Pressing himself closer, his tongue found its way into her mouth, leaving no room for her to protest as he ravaged her willing body. His hands travelled up and down her heavy curves, leaving her skin tingling in his wake. When he cupped a breast, she whimpered in pleasure, her back arching upwards to give him better access.

"I-Ichigo..." His name spilled from her lips as he moved to press light, but hot kisses to her neck. She could feel him smiling against her fair skin, and it only made her body hotter. As he kneaded her breast with one hand, she could feel his other running itself over her hip, his calloused hands travelling over her bottom before giving it a squeeze. Another surprised moan escaped her lips as she acceptably let him take control.

"Orihime..." Ichigo muttered, biting and sucking on a particular spot on her neck. She squirmed and wriggled under his touch, and it soon came to be known that he left a hickey on her skin. Shuddering, she remembered her secret like for his hickeys on her. As embarrassing as they were, they were also a sign that she belonged to him. "Orihime."

His tone the last time was a little more concerned, surprised, and Orihime opened her eyes, but unsure of when she had closed them in the first place. When her eyes opened, she found Ichigo no longer on her, but rather, across the other side of the room, just entering the room. He looked a little confused and just a bit hot and bothered as he assessed the girl on the bed. The girl that had one of her breast with the other near her thigh.

"Are... Are you alright?" he barely managed to choke out, wondering if he had just walked in on something he probably shouldn't have seen. Upon realizing her predicament and her specifically placed hands, Orihime flushed the darkest shade of red he'd ever seen and removed her hands from her body and snapped up to a sitting position.

"N-Never been better!" Orihime squeaked loudly, absolutely humiliated. "I... I was just itchy!" she blurted out, telling what she thought was the worst fib in the history of fibs.

Ichigo knew better than to continue on, and instead, he nodded stiffly before setting Zangetsu down by the door and kicking off his shoes. "Well, uh... I'm going to take a quick shower," he told her, his voice unintentionally huskier than usual. "The mission left me really dirty. You know, full of sand and dirt." He was practically dying on the inside from his lame explanation, but he had wanted to get out of here as quick as he could. If he walked on what he thought he walked in on, he knew his stirring problem would only grow worse the longer he stared at the incredibly flushed, but beautiful Orihime.

She nodded back in response, and he snuck off to his shower, leaving her all alone on the bed. Her heart was racing as she dove under the covers in disgrace. She had just had a naughty daydream about Ichigo, and he had walked in on her as she was 'exploring', to put it lightly. Whimpering in embarrassment, she wondered how she managed to think she was so nervous before. Things had only gotten worse now that he walked in on her!

Sighing in discontent, she decided there was nothing else she could do to fix what just happened, and maybe it'd be best if both pretended it never happened. Silently agreeing with herself, Orihime let her eyes flutter closed and attempted to think of more innocent things, like the possibility of a baby to come.

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	13. Chapter 13

_Er...hi folks! Nagi here! I'd like to apologize for the super long wait, but I ran into a huge road block with this chapter and wasn't sure how to proceed with it. I know it's not really long, but I hope that you'll forgive me anyway. Anywho, here's chapter 13 of Liberte Perdue! Enjoy!_

* * *

A few weeks had passed and things had become set in a comfortable routine. Every few days or so, Ichigo would be called away for a mission – whether he would return a few hours or a few days later was always up in the air – and Orihime would welcome him back with open arms. Despite this sense of normalcy that had taken root in their lives, Orihime couldn't shake the constant fear and uncertainty she felt whenever Ichigo was summoned by Aizen. She knew that there was nothing to be concerned about, but there was always that niggling thought in the back of her mind that perhaps Aizen would take everything away from them again.

Nibbling on her lower lip, she absently ran her hand over her stomach as she kept her gaze trained on the doorway. Ichigo had been absent for a few days on a reconnaissance mission to a nearby village and her stomach seemed to sink with each passing hour. Dropping her gaze, she fisted the fabric of her skirt, her heart hammering in her ears as her thoughts automatically went to the worst-case scenario.

What if he had been wounded and wasn't able to return on his own? Had he been captured by this supposedly hostile village?

Unable to sit still a moment longer, Orihime rose to her feet and began pacing across the large expanse of the room. After what seemed like the hundredth time of walking the same path, she paused in front of the window. Her worried expression fell into a downcast one as a single thought crossed her mind: _Will we ever be able to leave this place?_

Before she could dwell on the depressing thought too long, the door to their room opened. Gasping, Orihime turned around, prepared to see an arrancar standing in the doorway, but was elated to see Ichigo walking across the threshold, kneading his shoulder.

"Ichigo-kun!"

Before she could stop herself, she was across the room and throwing her arms around his neck, a bubble of laughter escaping her. Burying her nose in his shoulder, she inhaled deeply, relishing the spicy scent that wafted around her. A soft sigh escaped her as Ichigo wrapped his arms around her in a hug and she silently thanked whatever deity or God might have been watching over Ichigo. Pulling away, she smiled brightly at him, though it faded as quickly as it had come at the sight of his brows furrowing in concern as his gaze became fixed on her midsection.

"What's wrong?"

Glancing up at her, Ichigo noticed the worry glinting in Orihime's eyes and quickly shot her a reassuring smile. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just tired from the mission, that's all."

"Oh... I see," murmured Orihime, dropping her gaze to the floor.

Removing Zangetsu from its perch on his shoulder, he leaned the blade against the wall before kneading his shoulder absently. Glancing around the room, he was relieved to see that everything was how he left it, but couldn't disregard the unsettling feeling that not everything was the same. Glancing at Orihime out of the corner of his eye, his mouth turned downwards into a frown. Something seemed off about the healer, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind, he silently made his way towards the bathroom, intent on taking a nice hot bath. Perhaps it would help him clear his mind as well as unwind his tense muscles.

"I-Ichigo-kun?"

Pausing, his hand on the doorknob to the bathroom, he turned around to look at her questioningly. "What is it?"

Opening her mouth, Orihime seemed unable to voice her concerns, so she merely shook her head and smiled. "It's nothing. Enjoy your bath, Ichigo-kun."

Nodding, Ichigo entered the small room and shut the door with a soft click. As he ran the water and disrobed, his thoughts went back to the girl on the other side of the wall. Something was definitely different about her. He just couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Slipping into the hot water with a sigh, he decided to relax and try not to think too much on the subject. It wasn't like Orihime had changed dramatically in the three days since he'd seen her. At least, he hoped not.

* * *

Late that evening, as Ichigo snored softly beside her, Orihime stared quietly at the ceiling. Try as she might, she couldn't sleep. Something was nagging at her, but she couldn't quite place the reasoning behind the unsettling feeling that sunk into her stomach despite Ichigo's safe return. Turning her head, she watched the man in question sleep soundly. His brows – normally furrowed in concentration or thought – had relaxed, though his mouth was still turned downwards into a scowl. Instinctively, she reached up and brushed a strand of his hair out of his eyes. She froze as her fingers brushed against his forehead, as this caused him to stir. Fearful that she had woken him, she tried retracting her hand but squeaked in surprise when his long digits wrapped around her wrist.

"Can't sleep?" murmured Ichigo sleepily, his left eye cracked open to peer at her.

Shakily, she shook her head in the negative, a hot blush rising in her cheeks. Funny, how a bit of insomnia could make her feel so shameful. Or maybe it was the fact that he caught her watching him sleep. Either way, her heart hammered in her chest and she felt as though her brother had just caught her sneaking a cookie before supper.

Scooching closer to her, Ichigo relinquished his grasp on her hand to tuck some loose strands of her hand behind her ear. The intimate gesture caused Orihime to blush even more (if it were possible), but she didn't pull away as his fingertips lingered on her cheek.

"What's bothering you?"

Surprised by his question, her gaze flew to his. "N-nothing! What makes you think that?"

"You've seemed..." Ichigo trailed off, trying to think of the right word. "Distracted lately. Are you sure there isn't anything wrong?"

"Of course not," she whispered.

_'I'm such a liar,'_ she thought as she dropped her gaze. _'Of course there's something bothering me. Why am I too afraid to tell him?'_

"Don't lie to me Orihime," said Ichigo sternly. "There's obviously something bothering you. You know you can tell me, whatever it is. Are you regretting...you know, being with me?"

Startled by his question, Orihime's eyes widened as she loudly exclaimed, "No! I would never regret that, Ichigo-kun!"

"Then if that's not it, what is it?"

"I just..." Closing her eyes, Orihime took a deep breath as she tried to organize the tumultuous emotions and thoughts circling through her. "Sometimes I have to wonder if we'll ever be released from under Aizen's control. Even if we do have a baby. But then, I also wonder if anyone is even looking for us. A lot of our friends were slaughtered that day, but I still..."

Hearing Orihime become choked up at the mention of their lost friends and comrades made Ichigo sad, but he tried to keep on a neutral expression, so as to not let his emotions get the better of him. Orihime was finally opening up to him after weeks of bottling her emotions up and he didn't want to stop her from letting everything out.

Wiping away the tears that were brimming in the corner of her eyes, Orihime swallowed past the lump in her throat. Although she had wanted to leave it at that, it seemed as though her thoughts were intent on making themselves known, as if she had opened a dam. "I still like to think that they're out there, somewhere, looking for us. Even though they're probably not."

"You don't know that," said Ichigo hoarsely. "For all we know, they are."

Nodding, Orihime cracked a small smile, but it faded quickly as more tears began to fall. "Ichigo-kun, what about the baby? If we're able to have one and Aizen does let us go, what do you think will happen to it?"

Grimacing at the sudden turn in their conversation, Ichigo wiped away a tear with the pad of his thumb. "I try not to think about that," he admitted quietly. "Maybe we should think about that when the time comes and focus on surviving for now."

"Okay..." whispered Orihime. Suddenly, she laughed quietly, wiping at her tears. "I'm sorry, Ichigo-kun, for dumping all of my worries on you like that. You must think I'm being silly."

"You're never – okay, sometimes you can be silly – but right now you're not." Wrapping his arms around her waist, Ichigo pulled Orihime against him and dropped a kiss onto her nose. "Thank you, for trusting me enough to tell you what's bothering you."

"Thanks for listening..." she murmured as she buried her face into his shoulder.

"You're welcome. Even if you did wake me up," he teased.

Laughing softly, Orihime slapped him playfully in the arm before snuggling against him. Feeling as thought a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, she slipped into a deep sleep.

* * *

A few days had past since Orihime's midnight confession and she still felt as though things would turn out alright. The unsettling feeling was gone and she went about her daily routine with a bit more of a bounce in her step. Unfortunately, the couple's happy moment was about to come to an end as Ichigo was summoned to perform yet another mission. As the two said their goodbyes, Ichigo promised to be back as soon as he could – like he always did – and Orihime promised to wait for him as long as it took for him to return.

However, as soon as Ichigo left, the eerie silence that permeated the room left Orihime with no choice but to dwell on her thoughts no matter how hard she tried not to. Soon, the weight was back tenfold, causing her to feel nauseated at all times and diminishing her appetite. Eventually, she took to simply lying in bed all day, hoping for her nausea to go away.

Sometime later – she wasn't sure if it had been a day or a week since Ichigo's departure – Ichigo returned, hoping to see Orihime in a good mood like she was when he left her. He wasn't expecting to see her curled up in bed with the blankets pulled up to her chin. Kicking his shoes off and setting his things down beside the door, he hurried to her side, his brows furrowed in concern.

"Orihime, are you okay?"

"Hmm?" Orihime tiredly rolled onto her side, her gaze lidded. "Oh, Ichigo-kun! You're home!"

"Yeah, but that doesn't answer my question," he retorted dryly.

Sheepishly, Orihime scratched her cheek and grinned. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. My stomach has been hurting a lot lately, so I thought I'd lie down and see if that helped at all."

Pushing the covers off of her, Orihime pushed herself into a sitting position with Ichigo's help. Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she rose to her feet as she fought off another wave of nausea. Once her vision steadied and her body seemed more willing to cooperate, she smiled up at Ichigo and was about to give him a proper welcome home when Ichigo suddenly placed his hand on her stomach.

"I-Ichigo-kun, what are you doing?"

"Hime, have you...have you gained weight?"

Blinking, Orihime stared at him incredulously. "I don't think so... I haven't been eating very much lately because I've been so nauseous, that I -"

"You don't think -" started Ichigo, his eyes widening.

Her eyes as wide as saucers, Orihime merely stared at him as anxiety and confusion overwhelmed her. Feeling as though she may throw up, she collapsed on the bed as she tried to let the information sink in while Ichigo went in search of Syazel.


	14. Chapter 14

_Star here. Wow, it's been so late since the last update! I really have no excuse for the absence. I had all summer to do it and it just didn't get done... Funny how college started up again and, what do you know? I've got an update done! Life works in weird ways... Hope you enjoy this late chapter anyway!_

* * *

The rushing of blood was loud in her ears as she stared at the ceiling. She couldn't sit still and her eyes were darting from place to place, particularly from one object then back to Ichigo, who looked just as anxious as she did. Syazel had perched himself on the edge of the mattress in their room, watching the monitor with some disinterest. He figured he was a doctor of sorts here in Hueco Mundo, but he found it utterly ridiculous to be in charge of the pregnancy of the humans.

Ichigo squeezed Orihime's hand tightly, causing her to glance at him once again. Her eyes brimmed with few tears and her eyes read a mixture of hope and anxiety. On the inside, she wanted so desperately to be pregnant, but after what happened last time, she tried so hard not to get her hopes up so high. Ichigo's reassuring hand made her tremble and bite her lip in nervousness.

"There is an embryo," Syazel told them nonchalantly, roving the device around her slightly rounded tummy. The breath both Ichigo and Orihime were holding came out in a rush and their eyes darted to one another. The thing they'd been hoping for all this time finally happened and they felt a flood of relief at the new discovery. Orihime had thrown her hands up to her mouth to stifle a sob and she closed her eyes tight as a few tears trickled out. "I'd say you're approximately six or seven weeks along."

Ichigo couldn't help but crack a small grin at the revelation of his child actually growing within this wonderful woman's abdomen. Orihime's soft sobs could be heard, but his eyes were glued on the monitor where a small blur looked no bigger than the pad of his thumb. He almost reached out to touch the monitor when he realized Syazel was still in the room and he didn't really want to do something as sentimental as that with the hollow here.

"Did you say six or seven?" Ichigo blurted out, refocusing himself and realizing the dates weren't really matching up. "But we just..." He was going to finish, but instead felt himself turn hot in the cheeks. In his head, he calculated that they probably hadn't done anything since the shower, which happened nearly a month ago. And they had attempted to try again before, but they had been interrupted. That only left their first time, which resulted in her hysterical pregnancy. Either way, it just didn't add up.

"Don't be ridiculous," Syazel scoffed, removing the device off of Orihime's midsection. She had quickly brushed away her tears to sit up and look at him carefully. Syazel had tossed her a cloth to wipe the goo off her belly, but she still watched him with cautious eyes as she cleaned herself up. "The reiatsu-rich environment that is Hueco Mundo has more than likely provided extra 'nutrients', if you prefer to call it that way. It's caused the unborn child to develop at a slightly quicker rate than most normal pregnancies." Orihime's eyes widened at the news, as did Ichigo's. If Syazel was right, then that would mean the baby's birth would be arriving sooner than they'd both anticipated.

Syazel turned off the machine and rose from his spot. "I will inform Aizen-sama of the news. Do not be shocked if he summons you both." Ichigo, at this point, wasn't worried about Aizen, but he had looked back at Orihime, who was trying her hardest not to grin. Syazel scoffed once more before leaving the room, wheeling the machine out with him.

"I-Ichigo-kun..." Orihime whimpered, feeling her eyes prickle again with tears. Ichigo, feeling himself swell with emotion, took no time in pulling her into a tight hug. For a split second, he forgot about the now growing baby in her body, but as soon as it sunk in for a second time, he loosened up and pressed a hurried kiss onto her cheek.

"I'm so proud of you," Ichigo found himself blurting out, not really thinking about what he was saying. Even in her half-sobbing state, Orihime laughed and buried her face into the crook of his neck.

"We did this together though!" she replied, her voice fairly jubilant. "You should be proud of yourself too!" Ichigo found himself smirking as he pulled her into a long, deep kiss. He hadn't felt this happy since forever, and the feeling was uplifting although awkward to come to terms with.

Orihime smiled into the kiss and soon parted with him, unable to stop grinning. Ichigo found himself lowering his face towards her abdomen, imagining the small life within her. He was terrible at sensing reiatsu, but he could faintly feel a very small, concentrated bundle of it inside of her body. Again, this made him feel overjoyed, so much he pressed a light peck to her belly. "Hey..." he murmured to his unborn child, despite it not being able to hear anything at this point in the pregnancy.

As Orihime watched Ichigo's gentle ministrations, her cheeks warmed and her thoughts began to swarm. His words were so kind, but as soon as Syazel left, she realized that although she'd carry this child, it would eventually be handed over to Aizen for his use. Orihime's previous smile fell to a distraught frown and she lightly threaded her dainty fingers through his bright locks. Ichigo, noticing the new touch, glanced up with a smile prepared for her, still glad of the news. But when he saw her face, the expression both on her features and in her eyes, his own smile faded into a tight scowl. He didn't need to ask her to know what was wrong.

"It... It'll be okay," Ichigo tried to promise her, even though he was unsure himself. He rested a hand on her cheek and brushed his thumb across her slightly damp face, wet from the new set of tears she'd caused herself to have. "We have time. We'll figure this out, alright?"

Orihime nodded grimly before closing her eyes tightly and forcing back the soft sobs. What had been good news before only turned to terrible news instead, just from imagining what Aizen would do with their innocent baby. Ichigo felt terrible about his lack of ideas this far, and he felt even worse that all he could do to help her now was hug her and never let go.

* * *

Orihime tried to appear to be in a relatively chipper mood in an attempt to keep herself from stressing herself out. She knew if she would grow too nervous and scared, the baby would become affected as well. But just because she appeared that way on the outside, the onslaught of thoughts still surged in her head. The terrifying reality of having to hand their child over made her more scared than she'd ever thought she'd be.

Though she tried her best not to show it, she knew Ichigo could sense it. The moment he would walk through the door after a mission, he would come over to her and ask if she was alright. That had been normal for the past year they had been here, but he made sure to pull her into a hug as well, and would sometimes even rub her back or plant a kiss on the top of her head.

Her stomach fluttered at the thought of Ichigo's kind gestures, momentarily distracting her from the problem at hand. Orihime sighed, falling back onto the bed and closing her eyes. Her lids were heavy with threatening tears. Wiping them away quickly, she mentally scolded herself at how she needed to calm down. Being this tensed would not help anyone, and most importantly, it wouldn't help the baby.

The creak of the door rang in Orihime's ears and she turned her head towards the entrance to the room. Ichigo came through, just like any other day, covered in some dust and a few scratches present on his face. Nothing looked overly concerning, such as broken bones or gushing wounds. So instead of a distraught expression she'd usually show in such a situation, she gave him a lazy smile and subconsciously rested her hand on her swollen abdomen.

Resting Zangetsu against his usual perch on the wall, Ichigo returned the smile with a small one of his own and made his way towards the bed. Once there, he plopped down next to her and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face.

"Are you alright?" he asked, the repetition ringing in Orihime's head. She nodded and closed her eyes for a moments rest.

"Uhn. Just a little sleepy right now," she replied back, not entirely being truthful. She had a lot on her mind, but it was also the truth that she was exhausted. Keeping up with the growing baby was definitely a handful.

Ichigo's lips curled downwards into a scowl, replacing the previous smile. He knew she'd been stressing lately, especially since the discovery of their unborn child, and he wished she'd actually talk to him about how she was feeling. By now, he was disliking her tendency to keep things bottled up when she grew far too worried.

"Orihime," he murmured her name, resting his hand on top of hers, still lying on her belly. Her cheeks were warm as she shyly looked up at Ichigo. "What's really wrong?"

Orihime pulled her lip between her teeth, biting on it nervously. She flipped her hand and gripped his, her fingers trembling faintly. "I-I'm nervous for the baby..." she blurted out, closing her eyes again and furrowing her brows. "I'm still getting used to having it in my body right now, but I know it's wrong to give it to Aizen when it's born."

Ichigo ground his teeth together, unsure of how to respond. He'd been mulling over the same thoughts for a while now too and he knew the feeling was certainly a heavy one to bear.

"I'm sure we'll figure something out..." he replied quietly, pulling her into an embrace. Orihime took in a staggering breath and closed her eyes, trying to mentally will the tears to go away. They only proved be more of a burden to her, as it affected those around her too.

"Ichigo-kun, I want to go home..." she sobbed quietly , tucking herself into his chest. She realized she might have sounded selfish, but she wanted it to be over. "I'm just so tired..."

"Come on, Orihime, take a deep breath and relax," he urged her, sensing her fear and anxiety. She took a shaky breath and nodded, burrowing only deeper into his arms. Ichigo felt so useless as he could only hold her and whisper possibly hollow promises into her ear. Even for the extended period of time that they'd been here already, he'd never been able to come up with anything to get themselves out of this mess, and now he was promising her that he'd figure something out to protect their child.

He could only feel anger swell within him; anger at himself. He was recognizing the obvious fact that he was still too young for all of this. It was clear as day that he was very unready to be a father, even if it would be momentarily, but he recognized his immaturity towards Orihime. He was nothing but selfish towards her, he felt, and it only added another frustration to his already large abundance of stress.

"Ichigo," Orihime whispered, dropping the suffix. She had pulled away from his arms and was wearing a tired expression on her face, tears still clinging to her cheeks. "You're tensing up..."

He frowned, mainly because he was upset with himself, at how she was clearly in a time of need and he was too occupied with his own thoughts. "I'm okay, really," he tried to reassure her, pulling her hand from off his side to press a small kiss to her dainty fingers. "You said you were sleepy, right? You should rest for a while."

She shook her head in the negative and frowned just the same. "I'm not tired anymore," she replied quietly. Truth was that she was still tired, but she wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on with him.

"Come on, at least take a nap, please?" Ichigo asked, his voice sounding strained. "You really need the rest." Orihime shook her head again.

"I don't want to sleep, Ichigo."

Ichigo sighed heavily at her refusal to rest. It was such a menial thing, but he could feel himself stressing himself out over it anyway.

Feeling upset, he sat up suddenly and grabbed her shoulders, a deep scowl embedded into his face. His quick movements had Orihime gasping with wide, surprised eyes. With all the anger he was building up inside him, he felt like he just wanted a way to vent it all out, yet he couldn't because he wouldn't allow himself to do that to her. He would never forgive himself for yelling at her because of his own frustrations.

Orihime could see the worry written all over his face and it nearly broke her heart. She couldn't do a darn thing to help him and he was suffering.

She tentatively rested her hands on his cheeks, rubbing the pads of her thumbs against his coarse skin. "I love you, Ichigo..." she murmured. Orihime could feel her cheeks turning hot and she bit her bottom lip. He recognized that as a habit of hers, one that he knew she did when she was nervous, and he brought a hand to her cheek as well.

"Don't bite your lip... You're going to draw blood," he commented, running his thumb over her bottom lip.

"I've had worse things happen," she replied in response, eyes glancing up to his with a hint of embarrassment and some lust. Ichigo took that latter cue to bring his lips down to hers and kiss her tenderly, slowly. She released a soft sigh and laced her arms around his neck, bringing him just a little bit closer.

_Don't remind me,_ Ichigo replied in his head, feeling some guilt seep back in as to all the bad things that have happened to her, worse than her biting her lip. While he felt anxious about his mistakes and errors, there was a small part of him that drove to make things better and actually do something to change things for the better, even in a hellhole like this.

Ichigo pulled back, hearing a soft _pop_ as their lips parted. Despite the exhaustion reading all over her face, her eyes still shone with the overflowing love she'd had for him as long as she'd known him. Ichigo gave her a weary smile, and she smiled lazily in return. He decided to settle comfortably between her legs and he continued on.

Moving his lips to her neck, the shinigami roved his hands over her soft skin, nonchalantly pushing her sleeve off her shoulder. Orihime shuddered beneath his touch and sighed again, relishing in Ichigo's gentle caress. Her hands moved onto the collar of his shihakusho, pulling it down and over his shoulders as well. He had no problem with removing the garment for her, as it was something simple he could do, and he sat up for a short moment and peeled away the article of clothing.

Once it was discarded off to the side, Ichigo, pressed a kiss to her lips and ran his hand down her sides, eventually settling on her hips. Orihime small palms and digits rested on his back, her dulled fingernails slightly digging into his back. He groaned at the feeling but did nothing to reject it. Feeling the pressure only made him realize how she was here and with him right now.

"Ichigo..." Orihime murmured, whimpering faintly as he lavished such attention onto her. He pulled her sleeves down and past her heaving breasts, leaving the fabric to settle there as he continued on. Latching into a nipple, Ichigo began to suckle her and grind a bit into her slowly heated body. Orihime moaned at the feeling, while her breathing grew more labored.

Hearing her pants and sounds turned Ichigo on incredulously, but actually acting on his feelings and arousal was out of the question. Despite himself growing more heated by the minute, he decided he would take his time to make _her_ feel good, considering that she was the one really needing to relieve some stress.

Grinding again into her heat, Ichigo's ears were greeted with another low moan as he also licked and tenderly bit at her nipple. His agenda initially included doing what he was doing already, since she seemed to respond well, however, Orihime brought her small hands to his cheeks and pulled him back upwards, closer to her face. She took no time kissing him hard and deep, and she was also very pleased when she heard him gasp at the sudden change in plans.

"Orihime..." Ichigo mumbled against her lips. As excited as she was before, she began to slow down a bit. Her cheeks were still quite red and her arousal and lust were still evident, yet she appeared to hold herself back.

"I-Ichigo, I'm not sure we should do this..." she spoke to him in a quiet and embarrassed tone. As much as she wanted to meet his eyes, her anxiety over their hot and heavy state had her looking the other way. "The baby..."

Ichigo hadn't _completely_ forgotten about it, but 'making out' with her did tend to make things slip from his mind fairly easy. The issue had risen where Ichigo was at a point where he didn't know how to continue. The look in her eyes showed that she didn't entirely want to stop, but the concern for the baby was still heavy in her mind.

"Hang on, I have an idea..." Ichigo mumbled, his voice still laced with lust. He sat up for a moment, pulling her with him. The sudden change of position had her flushing, but she was more than willing to go along with what Ichigo was trying to do. It happened so suddenly, as he flipped their positions around; Ichigo laid on the bed in place of Orihime, and she sat on his lap, straddling his lower regions. She was already aware that Ichigo was turned on, but she never entirely knew just how hard he had become. This discovery only caused her to blush harder.

"What do we do now?" she asked timidly, nervously hiding her eyes behind her bangs. Ichigo gave her a tired smirk before bringing his hands to rest on her hips, just as he had done before.

"We do this," he replied, followed by simply thrusting his hips upwards to meet hers. A loud moan escaped Orihime's lips and she threw her hands up to cover her mouth, as if it would contain any future embarrassing noises that would threaten to spill out. "It's okay, Orihime..." Ichigo tried to reassure her. He didn't mind her noises at all; in fact, they were a sign to him that he was doing something right. "Are you alright with continuing?" he asked out of some worry. If she wasn't comfortable with this, he wouldn't be such an asshole as to keep going when she said no.

Shaking her head, Orihime quietly responded, "I-It's okay... Keep going..." As much as the nerves were eating at her, what Ichigo was doing to her felt _really_ good, and as far as she was aware, merely grinding with one another couldn't possibly hurt the baby in any way. It was almost as if they were just touching each other nonchalantly.

Nodding in confirmation, Ichigo bit his bottom lip and experimentally pressed his hips up against hers again, hearing that breathy moan come from her lips once more. He held back his own groans as he watched his healer bounce up and down on top of him, her breasts rising and falling from both gravity and her labored breathing.

Thrusting into her heat, Ichigo absentmindedly reached up to grab one of her bouncing breasts, kneading and molding it without a care. The look on her face was one that was recognizable as of late – flushed cheeks, half-lidded eyes... She was without inhibition, and it not only brought Ichigo to think it was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen, but that she was getting close. She was nearing that wonderful free fall of ecstasy, even though all they were doing seemed to be the simplest thing to do when concerning intimacy.

"I-Ichigo... I..." Orihime gasped, curling her small hands into fists on Ichigo's chest.

"I know..." he replied with a moan of his own. "... J-Just let it happen..." And just as he said it, as if he was giving some sort of permission, Orihime stopped and froze, shuddering hard before sighing heavily and practically melting right in his hands.

It was amazing to watch her come undone, and it was almost enough to cause him to reach that same point, however, today would not be one of those days and he was okay with that. He'd figure out his own problems later, but for now, he was just glad Orihime seemed to finally relax.

"Thank you, Ichigo-kun..." Orihime murmured, smiling at him languidly. "I feel a lot better..." Ichigo couldn't help but smile in return and cup her cheek, bringing her close as to place a soft kiss upon her lips.

"I'm glad," he replied, in all honesty. Despite his own sexual predicament, there was a rush of relief wash over him when he saw just how loosened up she became.

Orihime tucked her hair behind her ear and licked her lips after she and Ichigo parted, for some reason unable to wipe the smile off her face (not that she minded; it felt good to feel so happy for once). She was about to plop down and decide to take a nap in Ichigo's arms when she noticed there was still a problem stirring beneath her lap and beneath Ichigo's hakama.

"Are you...?" was all she could make out, embarrassment starting to catch up with her a bit as she pointed to his lower regions. Ichigo blatantly blushed and looked off to the side, but he kept a hand on her arm in reassurance.

"Y-Yeah, but it's fine. I've got it covered," he explained, already planning in his head how he would get up and make a beeline for the bathroom to finish up. It was his only option, but he was okay with it too.

It was shuffling around and the pulling of the tie to his hakama that had him turning his head back to the gentle healer in confusion. She had moved her way further down his legs to bring herself face to face with Ichigo's problem. It took no more than an instant for Ichigo to realize what she was doing, and he tried to stop her by grabbing at her busy hands.

"Orihime, don't-"

She looked up at him with a nervous expression. Ichigo suddenly had a hard time breathing when he looked at her unwavering eyes, feeling quite embarrassed himself knowing what was about to happen. "Ichigo-kun, you've helped me... Please let me do this for you."

Ichigo swallowed thickly and nodded. "... Alright."


End file.
